New Shanghai cancer clinic puts city on leading radiotherapy edge
A newly opened centre puts the city on the leading edge of radiotherapy but the bill for treatment will be much bigger than traditional methods
Cancer patients in Shanghai will soon have access to the world's most advanced radiotherapy equipment, offering recipients shorter and pain-free treatment. But the therapy is still in its early days and will come at a hefty cost.
Dr Jiang Guoliang, director of the hospital's technology board, said proton and heavy ion therapy was the world's most advanced radiotherapy treatment.
"It can achieve much better results than traditional radiotherapy, which uses light ions," Jiang said. "What's more, proton and heavy ion treatment can be used on patients who are unsuitable for traditional radiotherapy or on whom it has failed."
Dr Eugen Hug, president of Particle Therapy Cooperative Group, said the therapy delivered radiation more precisely to tumours, so that other body parts received less unnecessary radiation. "We get more cures. Because we are more precise and give less radiation to the normal tissues surrounding the cancer cells, we see much fewer side effects," Hug said.
About 125,000 patients are receiving or have received such treatment from about 30 centres worldwide, but these use only one of the particle types.
Hug said the therapy was "prominent" in treating children and adults with cancers in their neck, brain, prostate, spine and lungs, among others.