China begins testing of heavy-ion cancer treatment system

Chinese researchers have begun clinical testing of heavy-ion medical accelerators capable of killing cancer cells with high-energy electrons, officials said today.

Researchers said that the accelerators entered clinical testing for cancer patients in the northwest Gansu province this month.

Cancer radiation treatments employing heavy-ion accelerators can bombard a target with high-energy electrons to kill cancer cells.

Xiao Guoqing, head of the Institute of Modern Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it is widely considered the most effective way of fighting tumors.

Compared to the traditional therapy such as radiation, heavy-ion treatment is considered to have more balanced properties with less radiation on healthy cells.

The treatment period is shorter and the therapy could more effectively control cancer cells.

The institute in Lanzhou, capital of the northwest Gansu province, developed the accelerators in 2015.

It took two years for the accelerators to undergo medical equipment testing. Registration and testing were completed in April and clinical tests began, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Currently, the institute has produced two sets of the cancer treatment equipment, one each in Lanzhou and Wuwei City, which has a high rate of stomach cancer.

Patients were selected from Gansu Provincial Cancer Hospital and Wuwei Cancer Hospital.

Testing is underway for cancer treatment for the head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis and limbs.

In order to ensure the safety of the tests, 36 leading doctors in cancer treatment were assigned to oversee the tests.

Xiao said the domestically developed equipment marks the end of China's dependence on imports. The institute started basic research into the technology in 1993.

Currently very few hospitals in China offer heavy-ion cancer treatment in China.

Shanghai Proton and Heavy-Ion Centre uses imported equipment from Germany for cancer treatment. There is a long wait for the treatment at the Shanghai hospital.

A report published by the National Cancer Centre in 2017 showed that China has nearly 25 per cent of the world's new cancer cases, with 10,000 cancer patients added per day.

Every year, there are two million cancer-induced deaths. Lung, breast and stomach cancers are the most common types.