Radiotherapy

The Radiation Oncology Department of Ruijin Hospital is one of the earliest units in Shanghai to carry out radiotherapy. Since its establishment in 1993, the department has pursued the concept of comprehensive treatment in cancer therapy, following international, standardized treatment protocols. In recent years, the department has developed rapidly, gathering a group of talents specialized in tumor radiotherapy. Currently the department has 24 physicians, including 1 chief physician and 9 associate chief physicians. The department has 6 linear accelerators at the main hospital and the Tumor Proton Center, as well as the first domestically produced synchronized proton therapy device. The number of new cases treated annually is nearly 4,000. There are currently 3 wards with a total of 115 beds, with over 7,000 inpatients and over 40,000 outpatient visits per year. The department has the most advanced radiotherapy equipment in the world, including Varian's series of high-end accelerators: the adaptive intelligent accelerator Ethos, TrueBeam, Edge (Fast Sharp Knife), Trilogy; the third-generation TOMO RADIXACT system; and Elekta's Infinity high-end accelerator and 3D brachytherapy (afterloading) treatment equipment. The advanced hardware and software can implement all the most advanced radiotherapy techniques, including adaptive radiotherapy, HyperArc, stereotactic radiosurgery/stereotactic radiotherapy (SRS/SBRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), and 3D afterloading brachytherapy. Meanwhile, the center has successfully completed the pre-market clinical trial of the first domestically produced synchronized proton therapy device, which will soon be officially put into operation. Relying on Ruijin Hospital's strong oncology internal medicine, surgical oncology, imaging, pathology, and other collaborating departments, the department has formed a distinctive, high-level standardized comprehensive diagnosis and treatment protocol for cancer patients. The department's subspecialty expert groups include head and neck tumors, breast malignancies, thoracic tumors, lymphatic system tumors, gastrointestinal tumors, urologic and reproductive system tumors, gynecologic tumors, bone and soft tissue tumors, and nervous system tumors. Among patients treated in this department, the 5-year local control and survival rates after breast cancer surgery are 96.1% and 92.5%, respectively; for cervical cancer patients, the 5-year local control and survival rates after surgery are 88% and 77%. Over the past five years, department members have received 6 national-level research project grants and 10 Shanghai municipal/bureau-level projects, and have led multiple investigator-initiated national multicenter clinical studies. Many members have received talent programs at the Shanghai municipal level and Shanghai Jiao Tong University level. In the past 5 years, 104 scientific papers have been published, including 71 SCI papers, with a maximum impact factor of 14.92 and a cumulative total SCI impact factor of 240.36. The department has received many honors, including the "Shanghai Youth Civilization Unit," "Party Branch Construction Demonstration Site," and "Shanghai Jiao Tong University Communist Youth League Unit." Over the years, the department has strived to implement patient-centered one-stop treatment services characterized by full-course management by specialized nurses. The medical team integrates clinicians, medical physicists, network and maintenance engineers, radiotherapy technologists, and specialized nurses; in the spacious and comfortable radiotherapy waiting area, patients can seamlessly complete registration, appointment, outpatient consultation, treatment, and follow-up. Upholding the principles of no waiting, no missed diagnosis, and no loss to follow-up, the department brings patients a better treatment experience with warm, orderly, efficient, and precise medical service quality.