Proton/Heavy Ion Accelerators for Medical Use
Significant progress has been made in therapeutic use of protons/heavy ions in China. Key instruments, such as high intensity proton cyclotrons, have been performing well. China has joined a few other countries in owning new-generation radioactive beam accelerators. This represents an important medical milestone in China, especially in cancer treatment. Heavy ion cancer therapy entered the clinical trial phase in December 2006, and results were encouraging. China was the fourth country in the world to have conducted clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of heavy ion cancer therapy. In the area of proton therapy, a 100 MeV cyclotron has been built with indigenously developed technology. A prototype PET cyclotron has been developed, which is expected to be put into mass production. The research phase of the 230 MeV proton therapy-specific accelerator project has been completed, and the building process is underway. A heavy ion therapy system has been in clinical use in Wuwei, Gansu, and the heavy ion cancer treatment equipment is being commissioned in Lanzhou, Gansu.
质子和重离子治疗加速器
中国质子和重离子治疗技术取得重要进展，强流质子回旋加速器等指标和性能更加优越，使中国成为少数拥有新一代放射性核束加速器的国家，是中国医疗发展特别是肿瘤治疗水平的重要标志。继重离子束癌症治疗技术于2006年12月进入临床研究阶段并收到显著疗效后，中国已成为国际上第四个有能力进行重离子治癌临床研究的国家。在质子治疗方面，中国已研发出具有自主知识产权的100MeV回旋加速器，生产出了PET医用回旋加速器样机，并将实现产业化；230MeV质子治疗专用加速器已完成关键技术研发，进入整机研制阶段。甘肃武威重离子治疗系统已正式投入临床治疗，兰州重离子治癌系统已进入调试阶段。