Fortis Healthcare Set to Launch India’s First Upright Proton Therapy System

Summary:
Fortis Healthcare plans to install Mevion Medical Systems’ MEVION S250-FIT™ Proton Therapy System™ at FMRI, Gurugram, potentially making it India’s first facility to introduce upright proton therapy. The system combines proton therapy, upright positioning, integrated CT imaging and RayStation treatment planning to deliver precise cancer treatment while reducing radiation exposure to healthy tissues. Its seated, open design could benefit patients with mobility, breathing or anxiety-related difficulties, while the compact system can be installed within the existing hospital building with lower space and infrastructure requirements. 

Fortis Healthcare, a part of IHH Healthcare, has announced plans to install Mevion Medical Systems’ MEVION S250-FIT™ Proton Therapy System™ at Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) in Gurugram.

Developed by Mevion Medical Systems, the system will incorporate Leo Cancer Care’s Marie upright patient positioning and imaging technology, along with RayStation treatment planning software developed by RaySearch Laboratories. Pending regulatory clearances and completion of site preparations, Fortis is expected to become the first healthcare provider in India to plan the introduction of upright proton therapy and the country’s first facility to install a Leo Cancer Care system.

The technology is intended to improve access to highly targeted radiation therapy for certain adult and paediatric cancers. Proton therapy enables radiation to be directed more precisely at tumours while reducing radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissues and vital organs.

The system combines an ultra-compact proton accelerator with a fixed-beam delivery design and a 360-degree upright positioning platform supported by integrated CT imaging. Unlike conventional treatment setups where patients lie on a table beneath a rotating gantry, the system allows treatment to be delivered while the patient remains seated.

According to Fortis, the upright configuration could be particularly useful for patients who find it difficult to lie flat due to pain, breathing difficulties, restricted mobility or anxiety. Its open configuration could also help minimise feelings of confinement and enable patients to maintain greater interaction with clinicians throughout treatment.

With CT imaging integrated into the system, patients can undergo imaging, positioning and treatment in the same upright posture. This supports accurate alignment and image-guided treatment procedures.

RayStation will provide the treatment-planning platform for the proton therapy system, while RaySearch will continue advancing the software for applications involving particle therapy.

The compact design also enables the system to be installed within an existing building at FMRI. Fortis said this could lower the space and infrastructure demands generally associated with conventional gantry-based proton therapy installations, allowing the hospital to introduce the technology without requiring the significantly larger construction footprint normally needed for such systems.