Author: Zhang Min, Ren Yixuan
Translated by: Zhu Tong, Wu Xia
Wuhan University Heavy Ion Medical Center, namely the world-class oncology hospital with Chinese-made heavy ion accelerators, will begin construction in September 2020. This great medical construction project funded with 2.4 billion yuan, when completed, will be the only hospital in central China and the fourth hospital in the country to use heavy ion radiotherapy to treat tumor diseases.
On June 9th, leaders and experts from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University visited Wuhan Development Zone to discuss over the heavy ion hospital project and the reconstruction and expansion of Hannan District Hospital of Renmin Hospital. Wuhan University Heavy Ion Medical Center will be located in Shamao Street in Hannan District, which is jointly supported by Wuhan Development Zone, Wuhan University Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its plan, design, and construction will be consistent with the expansion project of Renmin Hospital Hannan District Hospital. The project, whose total investment is expected to be 2.4 billion yuan, is now a key construction project at the provincial and municipal levels.
Heavy ion radiation therapy is one of the most advanced technologies to treat tumor diseases in the world. Since traditional radiotherapy for tumor diseases uses X-rays and photon rays, it will also destroy normal cells while killing cancer cells. Notably, heavy ion radiation therapy can accurately kill cancer cells without falsely eliminating normal cells by using medical heavy ion accelerators to penetrate carbon ions invisible for naked eyes into patients’ bodies at a speed of 210,000 kilometers per second.
Wuhan University Heavy Ion Medical Center will use medical heavy ion accelerators that are independently developed by our country. Domestic medical heavy ion accelerators are regarded as national advanced equipment, the maintenance cost of which are lower compared with imported products, and their scanning pattern is more reasonable and diversified.
