Yesterday, Icon Group (Icon), Australia’s largest dedicated private provider of cancer care, officially signed an agreement with China’s Sanbo Brain Hospital Group (Sanbo) to deliver radiation oncology services, which are set to open later this year in their Chang’an hospital in Chongqing.

Sanbo is a group of Chinese hospitals internationally recognised for delivering specialist neurological services, including treatments for brain cancer. The group operates six brain hospitals in Beijing, Chongqing, Kunming, Fuzhou and Jinan. The agreement will see Icon operate the Chang’an Chongqing centre, with the site already in initial stages of development.

Why it matters

Icon will manage the facility in partnership with Sanbo, embedding a blend of international expertise to deliver a high-quality approach to cancer care. The centre will have the capacity to treat 900 patients annually.

Through the partnership, Icon will be sharing their expertise in radiation therapy, including remote radiation therapy planning with Sanbo. Icon’s centralised remote planning function, performed by a specialist, highly-skilled workforce of radiation therapists, uses advanced software systems to create individual, high-quality radiation therapy treatment plans for patients regardless of location.

What’s the trend

In June 2016, Icon signed a joint venture with China-based Yibai Healthcare to provide world-class radiation therapy services to 50 cancer centres across China. Yibai Healthcare is part of the Shanghai-listed GuiZhou YiBai Pharmaceutical company which engages in the research, development, production, and sale of pharmaceutical products in China.

The joint venture saw the launch of Icon’s newest arm – Icon Plan. Icon Plan is a centralised, remote radiation therapy dosimetry function for radiation oncology. Dosimetry involves data obtained during the planning consultation with a radiation oncology patient and uses that data to plan how the machine will target and deliver radiation to the tumour.

On the record

“The collaboration with Icon Group will increase Sanbo’s capacity in radiation therapy and chemotherapy, improve comprehensive cancer treatment, and provide an exceptional service to patients,” said Yang Zhang, General Manager of Sanbo.

Icon Group CEO, Mark Middleton said, “Cancer incidence in China alone are expected to increase by 70% by 2025, we are dedicated to helping reduce that burden. Icon is the first Australian healthcare company to export Australian cancer expertise into China, further providing training and education for local clinicians and staff and helping China deliver the best possible care to their people.”