Leo Cancer Care Upright Technology Enables World’s First Compact Proton Therapy Installation at Stanford Medicine

New approach combines compact proton technology with upright patient positioning to expand access to advanced radiotherapy. 

Marie® upright radiotherapy solution combines compact proton therapy with a more human treatment experience – expanding access to advanced cancer care. 

Leo Cancer Care has announced that its Marie® upright patient positioning and imaging solution has been integrated into a compact proton therapy system at Stanford Medicine Cancer Center. Developed through collaboration between Leo Cancer Care and Mevion, the installation represents the first clinical deployment of a next-generation proton therapy configuration designed to reduce infrastructure requirements, improve patient experience, and expand access to advanced radiotherapy. 

Proton therapy has long offered highly targeted radiation treatment with the potential to reduce dose to surrounding healthy tissues. However, traditional proton therapy systems require large rotating gantries and dedicated facilities, limiting adoption and accessibility. 

Leo Cancer Care’s approach rethinks this model by rotating the patient instead of the machine. Delivered in an upright position, Marie® enables treatment using fixed-beam proton systems, removing the need for large gantry infrastructure and supporting more compact installations. 

“This marks an important step in making upright radiotherapy a clinical reality,” said Stephen Towe, CEO of Leo Cancer Care. 

“By rotating the patient rather than a large machine, upright treatment opens the door to more compact and flexible proton therapy systems while also transforming the patient experience into something more natural and connected. Marie® represents a new category of ultra-compactness – making it possible to deliver proton therapy within a standard radiotherapy vault rather than requiring purpose-built facilities. This shift from building new infrastructure to using existing spaces has the potential to significantly expand global access to this advanced treatment.” 

Marie® features a 360-degree rotating patient positioning system with integrated upright CT imaging, enabling proton therapy to be delivered with initial image guidance directly at the treatment position. 

At Stanford Medicine, Marie® is integrated with the Mevion S250-FIT system to create a compact proton therapy configuration that removes the need for large rotating gantries and supports installation within existing radiotherapy vaults. 

Beyond infrastructure advantages, upright positioning is also being explored for its potential to improve patient comfort and treatment reproducibility. Research suggests that upright positioning may reduce motion and allow patients to breathe more naturally, while enabling eye-to-eye interaction with clinical teams and a greater sense of control during treatment. 

Preliminary evaluations of upright positioning have also indicated strong patient acceptance, with participants reporting comfortable breathing, ease of positioning, and a preference for the upright treatment experience. 

Potential benefits of this combined approach include: 

• More compact proton therapy installations giving increased accessibility to advanced radiotherapy 

• Improved patient comfort and interaction 

• Simpler system architecture enabling faster translation of research into clinical reality 

The Stanford Medicine installation represents the first clinical deployment of this combined compact proton therapy and upright positioning approach. The site is exploring treatment delivery with patients positioned upright, alongside continued evaluation of workflow, immobilization and planning flexibility. 

Following this milestone, Leo Cancer Care will continue working with clinical and technology partners to support further installations and ongoing research into upright radiotherapy delivery. The collaboration between Leo Cancer Care and Mevion is expected to support broader adoption of compact proton therapy solutions across additional centers globally. 

  *Photo credit: Steve Fisch/Stanford Medicine.