WUWEI, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Wuwei Tumor Hospital in northwest China's Gansu Province boasts China's first self-developed carbon ion therapy facility for cancer patients. In clinical service since March 2020, the facility was co-developed by the Institute of Modern Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and a subsidiary company. More than 400 cancer patients have received treatment here so far.
Aerial photo taken on Aug. 19, 2021 shows a view of the Wuwei Tumor Hospital in Wuwei, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)
Carbon ions are heavier than protons and can deposit more energy in tumor tissues. An alternative to surgery, carbon ion therapy is recognized as the next promising cancer treatment. It can kill tumors that are resistant to traditional radiation therapy.
Unlike traditional methods of radiation, this technique delivers cancer-killing power concentrated on tumors with minimal harm to healthy tissue. Scientists have adopted it for the treatment of various tumors in hard-to-treat areas, such as the head, neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis.
Qi Ying, head of the radiation department, checks the condition of medical facilities at the Wuwei Tumor Hospital in Wuwei, northwest China's Gansu Province, Aug. 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)
Medical worker Wang Kaiping makes preparations in a therapy room at the Wuwei Tumor Hospital in Wuwei, northwest China's Gansu Province, Aug. 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)
Medical worker Li Wanguo operates medical equipment at the Wuwei Tumor Hospital in Wuwei, northwest China's Gansu Province, Aug. 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)
The carbon-ion facility, with thousands of components, involves a machine that can accelerate carbon ions to 70 percent of light speed. To reduce the heat caused by the high-speed operation, the local government provides a 5,000-square-meter building for the protection of hydropower systems.
The United States, Germany and Japan have adopted carbon-ion therapy since the 1970s. There are 11 medical heavy-ion accelerators in operation in the world, and five are under construction. About 30,000 cancer patients globally have received the carbon ion therapy, according to a CAS statement.
A medical worker walks through a therapy center at the Wuwei Tumor Hospital in Wuwei, northwest China's Gansu Province, Aug. 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)
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