November 30, 2024 — The 2024 National FLASH Radiotherapy Technology Conference opened grandly in Mianyang. This conference, themed "Integration of Medicine and Engineering, Innovating the Future," aims to promote the innovative development of FLASH radiotherapy technology, strengthen academic exchanges and cooperation both domestically and internationally, and enhance China's research and clinical application capabilities in this field. The event is jointly organized by the Chinese Nuclear Society, the Chinese Medical Association, and the Chinese Association of Medical Equipment, and co-hosted by the China Association for the Quality and Safety Promotion of Food and Drug Enterprises, the Institute of Applied Electronics of the China Academy of Engineering Physics, the Fujiang Laboratory, and the Mianyang Central Hospital, among others.

At the opening ceremony, leaders from the Mianyang municipal government, renowned domestic and international experts and scholars in the field of radiotherapy, and medical professionals from across the country gathered together to witness this grand event where science and medicine are deeply integrated.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Wu Mingyu, Vice Mayor of Mianyang. Zheng Zhiheng, member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Committee, Minister of Publicity, and Chairman of the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions; Liu Jianqiao, Deputy Chairman and Secretary-General of the Chinese Nuclear Society; Hou Yan, Chairman of the Chinese Association of Medical Equipment; Wang Dafang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Medical Association; Hao Lishun, Deputy Director of the Equipment Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; and Chen Xinfu, Deputy President of the China Academy of Engineering Physics, all delivered speeches at the conference.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Wu Mingyu, Vice Mayor of Mianyang.

Zheng Zhiheng, member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Committee, Minister of Publicity, and Chairman of the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions, stated in his speech that Mianyang, as China's only Science and Technology City, boasts unique scientific research resources and an innovative environment. He expressed the hope that this conference would further promote the development of radiotherapy technology in Mianyang and across the country.

Liu Jianqiao, Deputy Chairman and Secretary-General of the Chinese Nuclear Society, noted that nuclear technology has broad application prospects in the medical field, especially in radiotherapy. He highlighted that FLASH technology, as an emerging radiotherapy technique, holds significant importance for improving the quality of life and treatment outcomes for cancer patients.

Hou Yan, Chairman of the Chinese Association of Medical Equipment, emphasized that technological innovation plays a crucial role in enhancing medical and health service capabilities and driving the development of the medical equipment industry. He expressed the hope that academic exchanges would promote the continuous improvement and development of FLASH technology.

Wang Dafang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Medical Association, first extended a warm welcome and expressed gratitude to the guests on behalf of the co-organizers. He conveyed the hope that this platform would facilitate interdisciplinary integration and promote the continuous improvement and development of FLASH radiotherapy technology.

Hao Lishun, Deputy Director of the Equipment Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stressed the high importance placed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on the high-quality development of the medical equipment industry, particularly the self-reliance and controllability of high-end medical equipment. He pointed out that FLASH radiotherapy technology is a cutting-edge field with significant application value and proposed that future efforts would focus on strengthening policy coordination among departments to drive the high-quality development of medical equipment.

Chen Xinfu, Deputy President of the China Academy of Engineering Physics, emphasized the importance of scientific and technological innovation and introduced the achievements and future plans of the Academy in the construction of weapons and equipment and scientific and technological development. He highlighted that through cooperation with medical institutions and enterprises, the application of electron accelerator technology and other related technologies in the medical field has been promoted.

The conference, which lasts for two days, will focus on the latest research findings, clinical application experiences, safety, and protection of FLASH radiotherapy technology, among other topics, for in-depth discussions. The rich agenda includes keynote speeches by experts, parallel session reports, and young researcher reports, aiming to provide participants with a comprehensive platform to understand FLASH radiotherapy technology.

On the first day of the conference, several experts delivered fascinating speeches on topics such as the current status and future prospects of FLASH radiotherapy and the exploration of new radiotherapy technologies. Their in-depth analyses and forward-looking insights provided valuable academic references and inspiration for the participants.

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and researcher at the China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mr. Fan Guobin, presented a special report titled "Current Status and Future Prospects of FLASH Radiotherapy."

Mr. Lang Jinyi, former President and Party Secretary of the Sichuan Cancer Hospital and former Director of the Eighth Session of the Chinese Medical Association's Radiation Oncology Branch, delivered a report titled "Outlook and Reflections on FLASH Radiotherapy and Spatial Fractionation Radiotherapy."

Mr. Peng Shuming, Director of the Fujiang Laboratory, presented a special report titled "The Development Trend of Nuclear Medicine in Mianyang."

Mr. Liu Yigang, former Deputy Director of the Department of Radiation Source Safety Supervision of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, delivered a report titled "Strengthening Radiation Safety to Promote the Rapid Development of FLASH."

Mr. Xia Tingyi, former Director of the Radiotherapy Department of the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army and former Director of the Tenth Session of the Military Tumor Radiotherapy Professional Committee, as well as a professor at the China National Nuclear Corporation No. 416 Hospital, delivered a report titled "The Need for Radio-surgical Treatment of Tumors in the Modern Era."

Mr. Xiao Guoqing, former Director of the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, presented a report titled "Current Status of Heavy Ion FLASH and the Industrial Progress of Domestic Medical Heavy Ion Accelerators."

Marie-Catherine VOZENIN, a pioneer scientist in global FLASH radiotherapy and a researcher at the University of Lausanne Hospital in Switzerland, delivered a pre-recorded report titled "FLASH to Overcome Radioresistant Tumors."

In addition, the conference featured a special session for young researchers to present their work, encouraging the next generation of scientists to showcase their achievements, stimulate innovative thinking, and inject fresh vitality into the development of radiotherapy technology.

The holding of this conference not only provided a platform for domestic and international experts and scholars in the field of radiotherapy to exchange and cooperate, but also brought new opportunities for the development of medical science and technology in Mianyang and across the country. As the conference progresses, we look forward to more exciting academic reports and the release of research findings, and together witness the new developments in FLASH radiotherapy technology.