Developing and applying more efficient cancer treatment methods has broad social significance and will contribute to the realization of the Healthy China goal, according to Ion Beam Applications, a Belgium-based medical technology company focused on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Cancer is one of the major public health problems in China. According to the latest data issued by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, there were 4,570,000 cancer incidences in China in 2020, which accounted for more than 20 percent of the 19,290,000 around the world.

Proton therapy is one of the most advanced cancer treatments nowadays. Proton therapy is an advanced radiation treatment method for cancer. It is an external beam radiotherapy that uses protons rather than photons. It delivers an adequate dose to the target tumor while sparing healthy tissues and organs at risk around the tumor. In the last decade, there has been an exponential increase of new proton therapy facilities. According to the Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group, by the end of 2022, more than 312,000 patients had been treated with proton therapy.

Cooperation between IBA and CGN Nuclear Technology Development on proton therapy is an important achievement of win-win cooperation between Belgium and China, and will benefit more cancer patients in China, IBA said.

IBA is a notable player in particle accelerator technology and a provider of proton therapy products and technology. Its products are widely used in about 75 proton therapy centers around the world and have treated more than 120,000 patients.

As a subsidiary of China General Nuclear Power Group, CGNNT is a premium company in the nuclear technology application industry. Adhering to the mission of "Nuclear Technology Makes Human Life Better", CGNNT takes the application of nuclear technology in the medical field as one of the development directions.

In August 2020, IBA and CGNNT entered into a strategic partnership on proton therapy. Based on the cooperation, CGNNT has introduced IBA to multiroom proton therapy technology and realized the localization and autonomy of proton therapy products through digestion, absorption and re-innovation.

During the past three years, a series of fruitful results have been achieved in the aspects of joint project installation and commissioning, joint research and development and joint market development. The companies are now jointly installing proton therapy sites in Shenzhen and Chengdu, which are estimated to begin clinical treatment in 2025.

Both parties believe and anticipate the comprehensive cooperation will accelerate the application of proton therapy, drive coordinated development of the proton therapy industry chain, reduce equipment costs and benefit more cancer patients in China and around the world.