First Vietnamese Patient Treated Successfully: Wuwei Heavy Ion Center Expands Care for Internationa

First Vietnamese Patient Treated Successfully: Wuwei Heavy Ion Center Expands Care

for International Cancer Patients​​

Recently, Wuwei Heavy Ion Center (WHIC) of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital welcomed its first Vietnamese cancer patient, Ms. Pham Thi Hue (age 59). Following precise evaluation and personalized planning by a multidisciplinary expert team, Ms. Hue has successfully completed preliminary examinations and treatment preparations and is set to commence her first heavy ion therapy session. This milestone not only marks WHIC’s entry into a new phase of international medical service capability but also signals the accelerated formation of a broader, more robust transnational cancer treatment network. Leveraging its heavy ion technology, WHIC offers renewed hope for global cancer patients across geographical boundaries.

Diagnosed with lung cancer over a month ago, Ms. Hue had previously undergone chemotherapy and Gamma Knife surgery for brain metastases. Seeking more precise treatment, she learned about China’s world-leading heavy ion therapy through WHIC’s bilingual (Chinese/English) international website. She subsequently traveled over 4,000 kilometers to Wuwei. From digital guidance for cross-border medical procedures and seamless support by multilingual medical teams to personalized recovery plans integrating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), WHIC’s “whole-cycle, cross-cultural” service framework ensures international patients experience both cutting-edge precision and compassionate care.

“The treatment plan is incredibly detailed, even accounting for regional dietary differences in restrictions. This truly embodies a ‘patient-centered approach’,” expressed Ms. Hue, reflecting the humanistic progress of Chinese medical services in its global outreach.

As China’s first hospital implementing a heavy ion treatment system and the world’s only medical facility operating two heavy ion accelerator systems simultaneously, WHIC’s technological influence is extending deeper along the Belt and Road Initiative. To date, WHIC has treated over 2,000 patients, including patients from all provinces of China and drawing patients from countries like Australia, Belgium, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its clinical efficacy rivals top global institutions while offering more affordable treatment costs. This dual advantage of “high-technology + accessibility” positions WHIC as a compelling global option for cancer patients, accelerating the transformation of heavy ion therapy from an exclusive “high-end treatment for the few” to a “globally accessible health resource for cancer patients globally.”

Heavy ion therapy involves interdisciplinary fields like medicine and physics, requiring top-tier expertise. WHIC adopts a two-pronged talent strategy: 1) dispatching core staff for training at global leaders like Gunma University (Japan) and the Munich Proton Therapy Center (Germany); and 2) engaging internationally renowned experts from Japan, Germany, and esteemed domestic radiation oncologists for on-site training and clinical collaboration. Recent additions to its long-term team include Prof. Yasuo Yoshioka (radiation oncology expert, Japan), Prof. György Kovács (Director, Brachytherapy Center Lübeck, Germany; Academic Director, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy), and Prof. Wu Dong-He (Head, TMU Proton Therapy Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital). This has established an expert think-tank covering the entire heavy ion treatment chain, integrating Eastern and Western expertise, and fostering a bidirectional talent system (“bringing in” and “sending out”). This strategy not only elevates China’s heavy ion standards internationally but also injects the Chinese principle of “extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits” into global health governance.

The successful treatment of the first Vietnamese patient is a beginning, not an endpoint. As the "Northwest Hub" radiating China's heavy ion technology outward, WHIC will persistently focus on technological innovation and deepen medical collaboration with Belt and Road countries through human-centered services. Guided by its mission of "Gathering Global Cutting-Edge Technology to Benefit Cancer Patients Worldwide," and its vision to "Become the Global Destination for Cancer Patients to Overcome Cancer," WHIC aims to transform heavy ion therapy into an invisible bridge connecting the global health community. In driving balanced global progress in cancer prevention and treatment, WHIC demonstrates the commitment and responsibility of China's healthcare.