Vietnam’s oncology landscape is entering a new era with the introduction of its first proton therapy system at Tam Anh General Hospital. The deployment of Mevion Medical Systems’ MEVION S250-FIT platform reflects a broader shift toward making advanced cancer-treatment technologies more practical, scalable, and accessible in emerging healthcare markets.

Speaking with MedTech Spectrum, Lionel Bouchet, PhD, SVP Commercial Development North America at Mevion Medical Systems, shares insights into the growing global adoption of compact proton therapy systems, the role of AI-driven workflows and advanced imaging in improving treatment precision, and how innovations such as upright patient positioning are enhancing both patient comfort and clinical effectiveness.

What makes the deployment of the MEVION S250-FIT at Tam Anh General Hospital a significant milestone for cancer care in Vietnam and Southeast Asia?

The deployment of the MEVION S250-FIT Proton Therapy System at Tam Anh General Hospital represents a transformative step for cancer care in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia. It marks the introduction of the first proton therapy system in Vietnam, bringing one of the world’s most advanced forms of radiation treatment directly to patients within the country.

Historically, access to proton therapy in the region has been limited, often requiring patients to travel internationally for treatment. Establishing domestic proton therapy capability enables Vietnamese patients to receive advanced cancer care closer to home, while also supporting the long-term development of oncology expertise and infrastructure within the region.

This milestone also reflects a broader global trend: proton therapy is becoming more practical and accessible for hospitals to deploy. With the MEVION S250-FIT platform, advanced proton therapy can now be integrated into healthcare systems without the massive infrastructure requirements traditionally associated with the technology. That practicality is helping accelerate adoption not only in established healthcare markets, but also in rapidly advancing healthcare systems throughout Asia and other emerging regions.

How does the MEVION S250-FIT platform improve the accessibility and practicality of proton therapy compared to traditional, large-scale infrastructure?

Traditional proton therapy systems have historically required very large, multi-room facilities, extensive custom construction, and long deployment timelines. These factors often limited proton therapy to only a small number of major academic centres worldwide.

The MEVION S250-FIT platform was specifically designed to remove many of those barriers. It is the only FDA-cleared proton therapy system engineered for installation within a standard radiation therapy vault, significantly reducing construction complexity and overall project requirements. This “bunker-ready” approach allows hospitals to integrate proton therapy into existing oncology infrastructure more efficiently and with faster timelines.

In addition to reducing infrastructure demands, the FIT platform streamlines operational workflows by integrating advanced imaging, AI-driven treatment planning, and simplified system operations. This enables healthcare providers to implement proton therapy in a way that is more aligned with conventional radiation oncology practices.

The result is a more practical pathway for hospitals and cancer centres worldwide to adopt advanced proton therapy, ultimately expanding patient access to highly precise cancer treatment.

How are AI-driven treatment planning and advanced imaging improving precision, workflow efficiency, and treatment outcomes?

AI-driven treatment planning and integrated imaging technologies are playing an increasingly important role in advancing the precision and efficiency of modern radiation oncology.

Within proton therapy, advanced treatment planning systems can help clinicians optimise highly complex dose distributions more efficiently, enabling more personalised treatment strategies while supporting consistent plan quality. AI-assisted workflows can reduce planning time, streamline adaptive decision-making, and help clinical teams manage increasingly sophisticated treatment techniques.

Integrated high-quality CT imaging also enhances workflow efficiency by improving treatment setup accuracy and supporting more seamless clinical operations. Combined with advanced proton delivery technologies such as pencil beam scanning and adaptive planning capabilities, these tools help clinicians better conform radiation dose to the tumour while minimising unnecessary exposure to surrounding healthy tissues.

Ultimately, these innovations support a core goal of proton therapy: delivering highly precise treatment while improving the patient experience and enabling clinics to operate more efficiently at scale.

Could you elaborate on the clinical advantages of proton therapy over conventional radiation therapy, particularly for pediatric and complex tumour cases?

One of the primary advantages of proton therapy is its ability to precisely deposit radiation dose within the target while significantly reducing unnecessary radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. Unlike conventional photon (X-ray) radiation therapy, proton beams have a unique physical property known as the Bragg peak, which allows the majority of the radiation energy to stop directly within the tumour with minimal exit dose beyond the target.

This precision can be especially valuable for pediatric cancers, where minimising radiation exposure to developing organs and healthy tissues is critically important. Reducing unnecessary dose may help decrease the risk of long-term side effects and secondary malignancies in select pediatric patients.

Proton therapy may also offer important advantages for complex tumors located near critical structures such as the brain, spinal cord, heart, or other sensitive organs. In these cases, the ability to reduce dose to adjacent healthy tissue can support treatment strategies that may not be achievable with conventional radiation alone.

As clinical experience and evidence continue to grow globally, proton therapy is increasingly being incorporated into multidisciplinary cancer care for a broad range of indications where precision and tissue sparing are particularly important.

How does the integration of Leo Cancer Care’s upright patient positioning technology enhance comfort and clinical effectiveness?

The integration of Leo Cancer Care’s upright patient positioning technology introduces an innovative new approach to patient setup and treatment delivery in proton therapy.

Treating patients in an upright or seated position can improve comfort for certain individuals, particularly those who may experience difficulty lying flat for extended periods due to pain, respiratory limitations, or other medical conditions. Improving comfort can also support better patient stability and reproducibility during treatment.

From a clinical perspective, upright positioning may provide additional flexibility in treatment geometry and beam access, potentially enabling new approaches to treatment planning and delivery. It also aligns with Mevion’s broader goal of rethinking how proton therapy can be delivered more efficiently and practically within modern oncology environments.

Recent discussion at ESTRO 2026—the annual congress of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), one of the world’s leading radiation oncology organisations—also reinforced the growing momentum behind upright proton therapy. In a formal debate conducted during the congress, 69% of participants viewed upright proton therapy as having mainstream potential by 2035. This reflects increasing recognition that upright treatment approaches may help support more compact system designs, improved patient comfort, workflow flexibility, and new opportunities in motion management and treatment delivery.

This growing interest reflects a broader industry focus on making advanced cancer treatment more accessible, practical, and patient-centred.

Together, compact proton therapy and upright positioning represent an important step toward creating more patient-centred and adaptable cancer treatment solutions.

How do you see proton therapy evolving globally over the next few years, especially in emerging healthcare markets?

We believe proton therapy is entering a new phase of global adoption driven by advances in system design, workflow integration, and clinical accessibility.

Historically, the expansion of proton therapy was constrained by the size, cost, and complexity of conventional systems. As newer compact platforms reduce those barriers, we expect to see broader adoption not only in major academic institutions, but also in regional cancer centres and rapidly developing healthcare systems around the world.

Emerging healthcare markets are particularly important in this evolution. Many countries are investing heavily in advanced oncology infrastructure and seeking technologies that can deliver world-class care while remaining practical to deploy and operate. The Tam Anh project is an excellent example of how countries such as Vietnam are investing in advanced oncology capabilities while seeking solutions that are practical to deploy and scale.

Compact proton therapy systems, combined with AI-enabled workflows and more flexible treatment environments, are helping make that possible.

At the same time, ongoing advancements in imaging, adaptive planning, arc therapy, and patient positioning are expected to continue improving treatment precision, operational efficiency, and patient experience. Collectively, these innovations are helping move proton therapy from a highly specialised technology toward a more widely accessible standard of advanced cancer care globally.