Pengbo (Hainan) Boron Neutron Hospital successfully completed the first BNCT patient treatment today
Boao, Hainan, on March 19, 2026, Pengbo (Hainan) Boron Neutron Hospital successfully performed boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) on a patient with recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. This marks that our hospital has officially entered the clinical treatment stage, bringing the most cutting-edge international precision treatment options to domestic cancer patients.
This treatment uses the BNCT system NueCure® produced by Sumitomo Heavy Industries and the boron drug Steboronine® developed by Stella Pharma - this is the only combination of neutron irradiation device and boron drug approved for clinical treatment in the world. The drug was approved for marketing overseas in March 2020 and was included in medical insurance in June of the same year for the treatment of unresectable locally advanced or recurrent head and neck malignant tumors. Up to now, two overseas BNCT centers have completed more than 1,000 treatments, and the clinical safety and effectiveness have been fully verified.
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The top team escorts and practices "for every irreplaceable life"
This treatment was personally led by Professor Wang Enmin, director of Pengbo (Hainan) Boron Neutron Hospital and a pioneer in domestic radiological neurosurgery. Professor Wang Enmin is the first doctor of Gamma Knife in China. He has been responsible for CyberKnife treatment at Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University for a long time and has accumulated more than 12,000 clinical experiences. Professor Wang Enmin led deputy dean Dr. Liu Junyang (formerly the Radiotherapy Department of the Air Force General Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army), director of the physical technology department Zhu Fuhai (Master of Biomedical Engineering from Tsinghua University), radiotherapy expert Professor Chen Xianzhao (the founder of radiotherapy in Hainan Province), otolaryngologist Professor Ao Huafei (formerly the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery of Shanghai Jiao Tong University) and other core members to form an international multidisciplinary joint diagnosis and treatment team to formulate precise and personalized BNCT treatment plans for patients.
In addition, today's treatment is provided by international authoritative experts to provide simultaneous remote consultation guidance to protect patients. We specially invited Professor Koji Ono, director of the Kansai BNCT Clinical Research Institute of Osaka Medical University and known as the "Father of BNCT", deputy center director of the Kansai BNCT Joint Medical Center and the first JSNC recipient. T-certified BNCT physician Professor Teruto Awairihara and top international physicist Professor Hu Shangde (also an ISNCT committee member) provide MDT multidisciplinary online consultation support, and professional equipment engineers from Sumitomo Heavy Industries provide on-site and remote dual technical support to achieve the seamless connection of "international standards + local implementation".
Before treatment, our hospital team conducted careful planning and multiple rounds of full-process simulation drills to ensure that every link from boron injection, neutron irradiation to real-time monitoring was accurate.
During the treatment, the system operates stably and the beam is accurate. The hospital's oncology department, physical technology department, nursing department, pharmacy department and other multidisciplinary teams worked closely together to successfully complete the entire process of patient boron injection, position fixation, blood boron concentration monitoring, neutron beam irradiation and post-treatment observation.
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Precise "fission" to remove cancer cells at targeted locations
BNCT is an advanced form of "targeted" radiation therapy. Its principle is similar to that of a "smart guided bomb": the patient is first injected with a boron-containing drug, which will specifically accumulate in cancer cells; then the lesion is irradiated with a neutron beam, and the boron undergoes a nuclear reaction under the neutron irradiation, accurately "blasting" the cancer cells from inside the cells, while causing less damage to surrounding normal tissues.
The first patient admitted this time was a squamous cell carcinoma patient from Henan who had relapsed after postoperative radiotherapy for tongue cancer. The patient had already undergone many years of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, but the tumor still recurred. After a comprehensive evaluation by our hospital team, it was determined that the patient was highly likely to benefit significantly from BNCT treatment.
Today, the patient received about 35 minutes of BNCT irradiation. Observations after the irradiation showed that he is in good physical condition. His diet and daily life have returned to normal, and his mental state is also good. It has now entered the follow-up observation stage to evaluate the long-term efficacy. It is worth mentioning that the patient has a cheerful personality, loves sports, and is in good physical and mental condition, which laid a positive foundation for this treatment and subsequent recovery.
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Six years of sharpening a sword, the key journey from vision to reality
From introduction to implementation, it took nearly six years of preparation:
October 2020: Signed a framework agreement with Japanese companies to start the introduction of BNCT project
November 2021: Passed the Lecheng Pioneer Zone Access Review
February 2022: Sign the park admission agreement and start preparations
September 2022: Hospital foundation laid
January 2023: Obtained a medical institution practice license
July 2023: The medical team went to Kansai BNCT Joint Treatment Center for training for the first time
January 2024: Obtained license import approval for BNCT equipment
May 2024: NueCure™ device enters the market
September 2024: Complete equipment installation
February 2025: Obtained license import approval for BNCT boron medicine
November 2025: Commissioning completed and first delivery
January 2026: The medical team went to Kansai BNCT Joint Treatment Center for training for the second time
February 2026: Start trial operation and simulation drills
March 19, 2026: The first treatment was successfully completed
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Based in Lecheng, create a new highland for BNCT diagnosis and treatment in China
Pengbo (Hainan) Boron Neutron Hospital was established in 2022. It is an important layout of China Biotechnology Services (8037.HK), a listed company in Hong Kong. As a specialized hospital specializing in BNCT in Lecheng Pioneer Zone, it has shouldered the mission of “bringing precision medicine to benefit every tumor patient” since its establishment.
The success of this first treatment not only verified the technical strength and perfect operation process of the hospital team, but also successfully opened up the complete path of international cutting-edge BNCT medical equipment from introduction, training to clinical application. As another result of the "franchised medical treatment" in Lecheng Pioneer Zone, it brings new treatment hope to domestic patients with relapsed and refractory tumors.
President Wang Enmin said: "The success of the first treatment is the culmination of years of careful preparation by the team and the fulfillment of our commitment to 'for every irreplaceable life'. In the future, we will rely on Boao Lecheng's policy advantages and the experience of experts from top domestic top tertiary hospitals to steadily promote the standardized clinical application of BNCT, provide more qualified tumor patients with this new treatment option that is less invasive, faster to recover, and more precise, and is committed to becoming a BNCT diagnosis and treatment highland in China and even Asia."
Currently, our hospital has begun accepting patient consultation and evaluation. With the successful completion of the first treatment, we will accumulate more clinical experience and light up the light of life for more cancer patients who are looking for hope in despair.