Shanghai's Ruijin hospital to deploy first homemade 360-degree proton therapy system

A 360-degree rotating gantry proton therapy system developed domestically is scheduled to be used at Shanghai's Ruijin Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine this year, which will provide more precise cancer treatment, according to the hospital.

This latest cancer treatment device, the result of collaboration between Shanghai Apactron Particle Equipment Co., Ltd. and Ruijin Hospital, is undergoing final testing and commissioning.

"The 360-degree rotating gantry allows the proton beam to target the tumor from virtually any angle, maximizing precision," explained Chen Zhiling, R&D vice president at Apactron. The system features a robotic treatment couch with mobility to optimally position patients.

"Proton therapy harnesses the unique Bragg peak effect to precisely target tumors," said Gao Yunsheng, a radiation oncologist at Ruijin Hospital. Harnessing this effect, protons deposit low radiation energy until they reach their maximum penetration depth inside the tumor, where they release a concentrated, high-energy burst -- the Bragg peak -- to destroy cancerous cells while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues.

This unique physical property makes proton therapy ideal for treating pediatric cancers, as children's developing bodies are highly radiosensitive to radiation, said Gao. "It also excels for tumors near critical organs like the brainstem, heart, and spinal cord, allowing us to deliver tumoricidal doses while preserving these sensitive structures."

Gao cited a case of a malignant skull base tumor encasing the carotid artery and cranial nerves, where proton therapy allowed doctors to target the tumor while preserving the patient's vision, swallowing, and facial nerve function.

Since beginning clinical trials in 2021 with previous-generation proton systems, Ruijin Hospital has treated over 150 cancer patients with ideal results. "We've observed remarkable tumor control with no grade three or higher treatment-related adverse effects," said Xu Cheng, deputy director of radiation oncology administration at Ruijin Hospital.

While treatment using imported proton therapy systems costs around 280,000 yuan ($38,658), this domestically developed system reduces the entire treatment cost to less than 170,000 yuan per treatment course for the same indication, said Xu.

Favorable policies in Shanghai also enhance affordability. "Patients can receive 30-70 percent reimbursement through commercial health insurance and government aid plans, making proton therapy financially viable for more Chinese families," Xu added.

This pioneering proton therapy system demonstrates the success of industry-academia-research-clinical partnerships, said Chen. Based on feedback from clinical trials, Apactron and Ruijin Hospital optimized the design for improved precision, efficiency, treatment times, and patient experience.

"We achieved a remarkable 95 percent domestic production rate in the research and development process," said Zhang Manzhou, chief engineer at Apactron.

While the integration of proton therapy technology and clinical application represents a "zero to one" breakthrough, Zhang acknowledged that the industry is still making strides needed to scale "from one to 100" systems, citing statistics that show China's treatment capacity corresponds to a market potential of 300–400 proton therapy systems.