Fighting cancer with radiotherapy was the focus of a forum organized by Duke Kunshan University and Universal Mevion Medical Technologies, a company working at the forefront of proton therapy.
Addressing the third Yangcheng Lake Radiotherapy Industry Forum, Chancellor Yaolin Liu expressed Duke Kunshan’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with Kunshan First People’s Hospital and leading companies such as Universal Mevion, a joint venture established by Genertec Universal and Mevion Medical Systems.
“The goal is to enhance medical technology, promote university-enterprise integration and advance scientific research development,” he said.
“Only 30-40 percent of cancer patients in China, in contrast to 60-70 percent in the West, benefit from radiation therapy,” Liu added as he pledged that DKU would continue to train talent in medical physics to help bridge the gap.
The Dec. 9-10 forum was a platform for experts, scholars and industry leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities in particle therapy, a specialized and more targeted form of radiation therapy.
“The therapy’s notable benefits include increased accuracy in targeting tumor lesions, reduced side effects and improved quality of life for patients,” said Yuan Tian, vice chairman of the China Medical Equipment Association and chairman of Mevion Medical Systems.
The forum’s focus on promoting localization and technological innovation aligns with industry goals such as reducing medical costs and increasing the per capita availability of medical resources.
Feng Zhang, deputy mayor of Kunshan, vowed to support the industry to meet growing demand for high-quality medical care.
Duke Kunshan, in collaboration with Duke University, has been at the forefront of medical physics education.
Established in 2014, the M.Sc. in Medical Physics Program focuses on medical imaging, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine. It trains students in physics concepts and the diagnosis and treatment of human disease, preparing them for careers in academia, research or clinical settings.
