Breakthrough in Glioma Treatment: Domestic Tumor Treating Fields Therapy Enters Clinical Application

On March 3, the “Beijing Tiantan Hospital Glioma Tumor Treating Fields Symposium and the First Clinical Application of a Domestically Produced Tumor Treating Fields Device” was successfully held, co-hosted by Beijing Tiantan Hospital and Beijing Jianjia Rehabilitation Hospital. This event marks the formal entry of China’s independently developed tumor treating fields technology into clinical practice, bringing new hope to patients with gliomas and demonstrating a significant enhancement in China’s independent innovation capabilities in the field of neuro-oncology treatment.

The symposium was held at the Beijing Neurosurgical Institute. Experts and scholars from Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University; Peking Union Medical College Hospital; Chinese PLA General Hospital; Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Tsinghua University; Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University; Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University; and Beijing Jianjia Rehabilitation Hospital gathered to engage in in-depth discussions on topics including the latest advances in tumor treating fields for glioma and empowering clinicians in translational medicine. Jia Wang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Beijing Tiantan Hospital, attended the meeting and delivered opening remarks. Professor Ma Wenbin, Chief Physician of the Department of Neurosurgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and Professor Chen Ling, Director of the Department of Neuro-oncological Surgery at the Chinese PLA General Hospital, gave keynote presentations. Professor Qiu Xiaoguang, Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, delivered the closing remarks.

Following the symposium, the first clinical application of a domestically produced tumor treating fields device in China was conducted at Beijing Jianjia Rehabilitation Hospital. The event was attended by numerous experts and leaders, including Director Mao Shanhong, a specially appointed expert of the Beijing Municipal Government and Executive Convener of the Fengtai District Pharmaceutical and Big Health Task Force; Mr. An Zhenhui, Chairman of Tiantan Intelligent Medical Engineering Industrial Park; Ms. Lu Jian, Founder of Hunan Antai Kangcheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; and Professor Xi Jianing, Vice President of the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Chief Scientist at Beijing Jianjia Rehabilitation Hospital.

Professor Xi Jianing first introduced the achievements the hospital has made in medical quality, patient services, and discipline construction since its establishment.

 Figure: Professor Xi Jianing

In her address, Ms. Lu Jian stated that the domestic tumor treating fields (TTF) therapy has officially entered clinical application, successfully breaking the long-standing monopoly held by imported devices and marking a historic leap for China’s oncology treatment equipment from “following” to “keeping pace.”

 Figure: Ms. Lu Jian

Subsequently, Professor Qiu Xiaoguang provided a detailed interpretation of the Phase III clinical trial (ASVir-G3) data for the domestically produced tumor treating fields device. The clinical data showed that among patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma receiving standard therapy combined with tumor treating fields, the median progression-free survival reached 12.91 months, and the median overall survival reached 31.11 months. These outcomes were significantly superior to those reported in comparable international studies, placing the results at an internationally leading level and fully validating the safety and efficacy of the domestically manufactured device.

 Figure: Professor Qiu Xiaoguang

In his concluding remarks, Director Mao Shanhong spoke highly of the significance of this event. He pointed out that the clinical application of domestically produced tumor treating fields (TTF) is a paradigmatic example of innovation that originates from and returns to clinical practice, fully reflecting the positive outcomes of medical-engineering integration and collaborative development among industry, academia, and research institutions. He stated that Fengtai District will continue to leverage its locational, policy, and service advantages, working hand in hand with more scholars, R&D entities, and research institutes to jointly build an internationally influential hub for the intelligent medical-engineering industry.

 Figure: Director Mao Shanhong

At the conclusion of the event, the inaugural patient fitting ceremony for the domestically produced tumor treating fields device was successfully held at Beijing Jianjia Rehabilitation Hospital, witnessed by all attending experts and leaders.

The clinical implementation of this domestically developed tumor treating fields technology represents a significant achievement in the collaborative innovation among industry, academia, research, and healthcare sectors in China, as well as a vivid practice in integrating high-quality medical resources. Moving forward, all parties will fully leverage their collaborative advantages, relying on the professional support of authoritative expert teams, to promote the widespread clinical adoption of innovative domestic medical technologies. This effort aims to enable more brain tumor patients to benefit from the fruits of independent innovation, thereby contributing to the clinical translation of medical technologies and the advancement of healthcare in China.