Upright. From Concept to Clinical Reality
BOSTON, Sept. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Leo Cancer Care is marking a defining moment for radiation oncology as upright radiotherapy moves from concept to clinical reality.
The Upright Platform is designed to be beam-agnostic and cleared for integration with both particle- and photon-compatible fixed-beam technologies, offering health networks unprecedented choice rather than being restricted to one beam manufacturer or treatment configuration.
A Flexible, Now Clinically Available Platform Built for the Future
Following the first clinical treatment using Leo Cancer Care's Marie upright patient positioning and imaging system in June 2026, patients can now receive radiotherapy in an upright position. Enabled by a partnership with Mevion Medical System, utilising their compact, fixed-beam proton accelerator and powered by RayStation, the treatment planning system from RaySearch Laboratories.
While this represents an important clinical milestone, the potential of Leo Cancer Care's upright technology extends beyond one installation or treatment configuration. Its flexible platform creates opportunities for clinicians and technology partners to explore compliant IGRT system combinations around the needs of their patients, infrastructure and services.
Expanding Access to Upright Photon Radiotherapy
While Leo Cancer Care's initial product offering, the Marie solution, is 510(k) cleared and CE marked to be integrated with any fixed beam, including conventional photon therapy, the company revealed development of a dedicated fixed-beam photon platform of its own (subject to regulatory clearance), at ASTRO 2025. This platform would integrate upright patient positioning, imaging and a fixed photon beam. Treating with photons in the upright position has the potential to offer greater patient choice while enabling more compact radiotherapy solutions that could help expand access to high-quality cancer care.
This next future innovation represents an important step towards bringing upright positioning and imaging into conventional radiotherapy and changing how photon treatment services are designed and delivered. This new method is already being utilized in new proton therapy installations where health networks are adopting a treatment delivery solution that was not so long ago widely questioned.
One Upright Environment. One Consistent Workflow. A Single Source of Truth.
Leo Cancer Care has taken a fundamentally different approach to radiotherapy. The radiation beam remains fixed while the patient is positioned upright and slowly rotated to multiple beam angles, enabling radiation to be delivered around the target area to deliver their personalised treatment plan.
At the heart of the solution is the upright platform, connecting fan beam imaging, planning, positioning and treatment delivery around a single patient position. Because the patient is imaged in the position they are treated in, every stage of the pathway works from the same geometry, giving the clinical team one reference point to plan and verify against.
For patients, upright radiotherapy provides a treatment experience centred around a more natural position, with eye-to-eye interaction with the clinical team. It may be particularly valuable for people who find it difficult or uncomfortable to lie flat because of breathing difficulties, pain, mobility challenges or anxiety.
International research also suggests that upright positioning may support more consistent anatomical positioning and reduce organ motion for certain treatment sites. These potential benefits will continue to be investigated as more upright systems enter research and clinical use.
From Innovation to Adoption
Stephen Towe, Co-Founder and CEO of Leo Cancer Care said: "The first clinical treatment using our technology proved that upright radiotherapy is no longer simply an idea for the future. It is now a clinical reality. This milestone is only the beginning. By connecting imaging, planning, positioning and treatment delivery in the upright position, we can create a single source of truth throughout the patient's treatment journey. Our beam-agnostic approach gives us the flexibility to work with different compatible fixed-beam technologies, helping reduce the infrastructure traditionally associated with advanced radiotherapy and supporting our ambition to expand access to high-quality cancer care."
At the American Society for Radiation Oncology's 2026 Annual Meeting in Boston, Leo Cancer Care will share its clinical progress and vision for the future.
The next phase will focus on building clinical evidence, supporting further installations and collaborating with healthcare and technology partners to make advanced treatment more human and accessible.
Natural anatomy. New possibilities. Think Upright.
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