Hitachi Receives Order for Heavy Ion Therapy System from Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center

Recently, Hitachi (China) Co., Ltd. received an order for one heavy ion cancer therapy system from the Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, and the two parties held a signing ceremony. This order is part of the Phase II construction project of the Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center.

Rendering of the completed Phase II project of the Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center

The Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center is the first medical institution in China to possess both proton and heavy ion radiotherapy technologies. To further meet the demand for precision medicine, the center launched its Phase II construction in 2025, planning to add particle therapy system equipment.

According to the project arrangement, the heavy ion therapy system ordered this time will be equipped with 4 treatment rooms and integrate Hitachi's moving-target tracking technology and pencil-beam scanning irradiation technology. Among them, the moving-target tracking technology is primarily intended for treating tumors in organs affected by respiratory motion, while the pencil-beam scanning irradiation technology is used for high-precision irradiation of the target area.

Particle beam cancer therapy is an advanced form of radiotherapy that typically uses accelerators to accelerate hydrogen nuclei or carbon ions to approximately 70% of the speed of light before concentrating the beam on the tumor area. Treatment using hydrogen nuclei is called proton therapy, while treatment using carbon ions is called heavy ion therapy. Data indicates that heavy ion beams offer superior physical dose distribution and stronger biological effects, showing application potential in treating certain tumors that are insensitive to radiation. It is also expected to reduce the number of irradiation sessions, improve local tumor control rates, and enhance patient treatment experience and quality of life.