The Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center announced on Jan 12 that new equipment has been approved, paving the way for a major expansion that could make it the world's largest facility for cancer particle therapy.

The expansion, known as Phase II, will add both heavy ion and proton therapy equipment, according to the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, which approved the feasibility study on Dec 30, 2025.

Under the plan, the center will install one set of heavy ion therapy equipment with four treatment rooms, and one set of proton therapy equipment with two rotating gantry treatment rooms. The project will be funded through Shanghai's municipal construction budget.

Phase II construction started in September 2025 and includes a nearly 70,000-square-meter medical complex for treatment, research, and education.

Since opening in May 2015, the center has provided particle therapy to almost 8,900 discharged patients, with treatments increasing by an average of 16.2 percent annually. About 76 percent of patients received heavy ion therapy, in some cases combined with proton therapy.

In 2025, the center treated 1,267 discharged patients, a 5-percent increase from the previous year. Annual treatments have exceeded 1,000 throughout China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).

The hospital claims its clinical outcomes and management of treatment-related side effects are comparable to advanced international institutions.

Source: Shanghai Observer