On February 22, 2025, the "China Intracranial Metastases Consortium" (CLAIM) held its founding meeting and the first Xuanwu Intracranial Metastases Forum in Beijing. The event brought together nearly 170 experts and scholars from 108 hospitals, spanning oncology, radiotherapy, neurosurgery, pathology, and imaging departments, to discuss multidisciplinary approaches to treating intracranial metastases, intending to enhance patient survival.

A key highlight was the unveiling of the ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery Robot. Developed by John R. Adler, the inventor of the CyberKnife, the ZAP-X is specifically engineered for Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS), offering exceptional precision, efficiency, and safety. It is poised to set new standards in the precise radiotherapy treatment of brain metastases.

Brain Metastases Cases Top 1.5 Million Annually: A Critical Challenge in diagnosis and treatment

Brain metastases are the most common brain tumors in adults, occurring at a rate ten times higher than all primary intracranial benign and malignant tumors combined. The 2022 National Cancer Report states that China sees 4.82 million new malignant cancer cases annually. It's estimated that 25-35% of these will metastasize to the brain, leading to over 1.5 million new brain metastases cases each year.

With the aging population, the continuous progress of imaging technology and the prolonged survival of malignant tumor patients, the incidence of brain metastases is showing an upward trend. What is more serious is that the prognosis of brain metastases is poor. If left untreated, those patients typically survive just 1-2 months, which not only seriously threatens the health of patients but also brings a heavy burden to their families and society.

To tackle this challenging issue, the National Center for Neurological Disorders at Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, and the China International Neuroscience Institute have joined forces with 10 other hospitals to establish the China Intracranial Metastases Consortium (CLAIM). Through promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and innovating intracranial tumor treatment techniques, this consortium aims to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of brain metastases in China and strive to extend patient survival ultimately.

The consortium is officially established

 

As the initiator and chairman of the consortium, Professor Zhao Guoguang, president of Xuanwu Hospital at Capital Medical University, stated that the consortium will focus on "collaboration, innovation, standardization, and mutual benefit." By conducting multi-center clinical studies, developing the formulation of treatment consensus and promoting new techniques and methods, the CLAIM aims to improve the diagnosis and treatment situation of intracranial metastases in China, which could provide superior and more accurate medical services to patients and then contribute to the "Healthy China" initiative.

 

President Zhao Guoguang delivers his remarks

 

As the executive chairman of the conference, Professor Zhang Hongqi, head of the Neurosurgery Department at Xuanwu Hospital, highlighted that this consortium represents a pioneering effort to integrate departments such as oncology, neurosurgery, radiotherapy and pathology etc., breaking away from traditional single-discipline associations. By standardizing a brain metastasis database and establishing clinical standardized processes and expert consensus, the goal is to increase the average median survival time of 200,000 to 500,000 brain metastasis patients by 1-2 months.

 

Director Zhang Hongqi delivers his remarks

 

Designed for Head and Neck SRS: Ushering in a New Era of Radiosurgery

 

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has become a vital option for treating brain metastases due to its precise targeting, concentrated dosage, and ability to protect surrounding healthy tissue. It could effectively control local tumor progression while having relatively little impact on neurocognitive function.

 

At the CLAIM 's founding conference, the ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery Robot, optimized for head and neck SRS, was officially launched. Developed by leading neurosurgeon John Adler, this device features a novel dual-rotation axis, capable of delivering thousands of non-coplanar X-ray beam angles, greatly expanding the potential of radiological techniques.

 

Official Launch of the ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery Robot

 

With its several advances over many existing core technologies - isocenter accuracy of just 0.3mm, an exceptionally low collimator leakage rate of 0.002%, and the industry's exclusive dual real-time imaging and dose monitoring - ZAP-X is redefining the standard of radiosurgery treatment and demonstrating significant benefits in treating complex cases like multiple and recurrent brain metastases. Its fully self-shielded design removes the necessity for dedicated radiation rooms, cutting infrastructure costs and making high-precision SRS more accessible across diverse clinical environments.

 

During the ZAP-X launch ceremony, inventor John Adler gave a remote presentation detailing the invention process, technical benefits and global applications of this device. The ZAP-X breaks through the traditional radiosurgery limitation known as the "impossible triangle," enhancing treatment accuracy and speed while better protecting healthy brain tissue. Adler hopes that this innovation will offer brain tumor patients more precise and safer treatment options and enhance their quality of life then.

 

Dr. John Adler shares remotely

 

ZAP Surgical has forged a comprehensive partnership with Baheal Pharma. During the event, Chairman Fu Gang emphasized Baheal's commitment to optimizing healthcare through technological innovation. The company is dedicated to bringing clinically effective products into real-world application, providing doctors and patients with advanced, efficient treatment solutions. Fu expressed hope that ZAP-X will offer a new, precise, and safe radiotherapy option for patients with brain metastases.

 

Chairman Fu Gang delivers his remarks