China completes first demo unit of next-gen heavy-ion cancer therapy accelerator

This photo taken on Oct. 20, 2026 shows the first demonstration unit of China's new-generation, domestically developed medical heavy-ion accelerator in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Yu Fei)

GUANGZHOU, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The first demonstration unit of China's new-generation, domestically developed medical heavy-ion accelerator has been completed in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, southern China, according to the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The completion marks a milestone in China's precision radiotherapy field and is expected to bring advanced cancer treatment to more patients while boosting the country's ion radiotherapy industry, the institute said.

The unit has entered the equipment testing stage and is expected to begin clinical trials by the end of this year, said IMP.

Heavy-ion therapy is widely recognized as an advanced form of precision radiotherapy. It can deliver radiation precisely to tumors, limit damage to healthy tissue, and cause DNA double-strand breaks in cancer cells, which helps prevent recurrence. It is especially suitable for some solid tumors that are unsuitable for surgery, insensitive to conventional radiation, or prone to recurrence.

China became the fourth country, after the United States, Germany and Japan, to independently develop a heavy-ion therapy system and apply it clinically. Its first fully independent heavy-ion accelerator for clinical treatment began treating patients in Wuwei, northwest China's Gansu Province, in 2020.

Across China, ten domestically developed medical heavy-ion accelerators have been promoted, and by the end of September 2026, nearly 5,000 patients had been treated, with stable operation and notable results.

The new-generation system, known as SIMM, is an ultra-compact rotating-beam heavy-ion therapy system. It uses a series of new technologies, including a compact high-current linear injector, a short-circumference rapid-cycling synchrotron, and an intelligent rotating beam delivery system.

Its core technologies have received patent approvals in the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea. One of its inventions also won a gold award at the 26th China Patent Award, IMP said.

The new system reduces the floor area from 4,600 square meters to 1,200 square meters and cuts energy consumption to about one-third of previous levels. Its annual treatment capacity can rise from about 1,000 patients to 2,000-5,000, which is expected to lower construction and operating costs and help reduce treatment fees, IMP added. ■

This photo taken on Oct. 20, 2026 shows the first demonstration unit of China's new-generation, domestically developed medical heavy-ion accelerator in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Yu Fei)