Salem Health said it was misled into buying a $6.4 million radiation machine that performed worse than older treatments despite a claim it could treat all types and stages of cancer.

Salem Health is now suing RefleXion, a Hayward, California company developing cancer treatment technology, for breach of contract and seeking a refund on the machine. 

READ IT: Salem Health lawsuit against RefleXion

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Marion County Circuit Court said the company misrepresented the machine’s capabilities. 

RefleXion advertised the machine as a three-in-one device able to deliver two standard radiation therapies for cancer, as well as a groundbreaking new radiation therapy that could treat any cancer at any stage, the lawsuit claims. Salem Health purchased the machine in late 2023.

But RefleXion’s claims about the machine began to unravel after just two months of use, the lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit says the machine delivered less precise results than older equipment and risked exposing healthy tissue to radiation. 

Amy Cook, who RefleXion lists as its media contact, said in a Thursday phone call she did not have any information about the lawsuit, but was looking into it.

Salem Health spokeswoman Lisa Wood declined to comment on the suit.

Recognizing the machine’s shortfalls, hospital staff soon went back to using the old machines for standard radiation therapies, the lawsuit says.

“Had these treatments been carried out using the RefleXion system, the patient would have received unnecessary radiation to surrounding healthy tissue, including the bowel—an outcome considered clinically unacceptable, especially when alternative systems were available that could provide more conformal treatment with reduced risk of acute or long-term side effects,” the suit claims.

In 2024, RefleXion’s machine treated just 41 patients, while the hospital’s two other radiation machines were treating 60 patients per day, the suit claims. 

The lawsuit also claims the machine’s actual capabilities were far more limited than advertised. Rather than the new radiation therapy treating any cancer at any stage, the hospital found it could only treat bone and lung tumors. 

Salem Health issued a formal complaint to RefleXion in March 2024. At the time, RefleXion said they were working to fix the issues, according to the complaint.

The suit alleges RefleXion executives admitted the technology was not ready during a December 2024 meeting with Salem Health, with their director of sales admitting he “oversold and underdelivered.” RefleXion told Salem Health they would consider financial concessions. 

In a January 2025 phone call, RefleXion said they “sold (Salem Health) on a vision,” the lawsuit claims. Salem Health sent a formal notice of a contract termination on Jan. 15, 2025.

On April 7, 2025, Salem Health requested a full $6.4 million refund from RefleXion, stating the company could repossess the machine at any time. 

As of the lawsuit’s filing, RefleXion had not complied with the request, the suit claims.

Salem Health is seeking a refund for the machine and an unspecified amount in other damages and legal fees.

Salem Health oversees multiple health facilities in the mid-Willamette Valley, including Salem Hospital. It is unclear which location the machine was installed in.

Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] or (208) 515-4097.

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