Fortis Healthcare, part of the IHH Healthcare group, plans to install the MEVION S250-FIT Proton Therapy System from Mevion Medical Systems at Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), Gurugram.

Featuring Leo Cancer Care’s Marie upright patient positioning and imaging solution, along the treatment planning software RayStation, by RaySearch Laboratories, the system will make Fortis the first healthcare provider in India planning to introduce upright proton therapy. It will also be the first Leo Cancer Care system installed in the country.

Subject to applicable regulatory approvals and completion of the necessary site preparations, the installation will represent an important advancement in India’s precision-oncology capabilities and expand access to highly targeted radiation treatment for selected adult and paediatric cancers.

Unlike conventional radiation therapy, which uses X-rays that continue to release radiation as they pass through the body, proton therapy can deliver the prescribed dose directly to the tumour with minimal exit radiation. This enables doctors to target cancer more precisely while reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues and critical organs.

This precision can be particularly valuable in treating selected paediatric cancers and tumours located close to sensitive structures such as the brain, spinal cord, heart and lungs.

The new system combines an ultra-compact proton accelerator and fixed-beam delivery architecture with a 360-degree upright patient-positioning platform and integrated CT imaging. Instead of rotating a large treatment gantry around a patient lying on a table, the technology holds the patient in a seated position in front of a fixed proton beam.

The platform integrates upright CT imaging at the treatment position, enabling clinicians to image, position and treat patients in the same orientation. This can support accurate alignment, anatomical consistency, and advanced image-guided treatment workflows.

These advanced workflows are supported by RayStation a leading software for proton treatment planning, combining advanced technologies in one system. 

Dr. Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, Managing Director & CEO, Fortis Healthcare, said, “As healthcare providers, our responsibility is to build an ecosystem in which globally advanced technologies are integrated with strong clinical expertise and made accessible to more patients. The planned installation of the MEVION S250-FIT Proton Therapy System at FMRI reflects this vision.”

Stephen Towe, Chief Executive Officer, Leo Cancer Care, said, “Fortis Healthcare’s decision is a landmark moment for Leo Cancer Care and for upright radiotherapy. India is an important new territory for us, and we are proud that our first system in the country will be delivered in partnership with Fortis and IHH Healthcare.”

“By eliminating the need for a large rotating gantry, the MEVION S250-FIT can bring proton therapy into an existing building where no other proton system could be accommodated. Together, we are overcoming a major infrastructure barrier and creating the opportunity for more patients to access proton therapy,” added Towe.