radiation Oncology
Artemis Cancer Institute has one of the best Radiation Therapy departments as could be in any cancer Center. We have a renowned Radiation oncologist who along with his young and enthusiastic team of radiation oncologists, medical physicists and radiation technologists is engaged in the practice of state-of-the-art radiotherapy techniques that are at par with the best cancer hospitals anywhere in the world. It is just as well since radiotherapy is used in the treatment of nearly 70% of all cancer patients both, for cure as well as palliation.
Modern emphasis of radiotherapy is on the delivery of maximum radiation dose into the tumour bearing region while keeping the normal tissues in their vicinity largely sheltered from its side effects. This optimum principle of modern radiotherapy is followed during delivery of externally directed radiation beams (Teletherapy) as well as when treating with internally placed radiation sources (Brachytherapy). Whereas the powerful and highly penetrating teletherapy beams are able to reach all tissues of the body harbouring cancer, brachytherapy can only be used for tumors in accessible organs like the mouth, food pipe, air passages, uterus, rectum, bladder, prostate, skin and the muscle compartments.
Modalities available
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1. External radiotherapy |
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» Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
» Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
» Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3-D CRT)
» Conventional Radiation Therapy
» Electron Therapy |
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2. Internal radiotherapy |
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» High Dose Rate Brachytherapy (HDR Brachytherapy)
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The key to selective delivery of external as well as internal radiation into the cancerous tissues as against the surrounding normal tissues lies with a modern and powerful Computerized Treatment Planning System (TPS) that has the ability to precisely compute the differential distribution of radiation in these critically placed organs. The highly sophisticated IMRT also uses an innovative hardware called the Multi-Leaf Collimator (MLC) that dynamically shapes the radiation beams as they approach the tumour from various angles that results in 3-dimensional encompassment of only the target volume while leaving the normal tissues out from its ambit. IGRT is endowed with an additional feature of a built-in CT Scan to provide ‘on-line’ imaging of the tumour bearing region prior to each radiation delivery so as to obtain information on the movement of the internal organ topography and undertake correction of the patient’s treatment position if need be on a day-to-day basis. The ultimate objective is to focus radiation only on the desired tissues and spare the normal tissues from any inadvertent side-effects. In appreciation of its clinical superiority, Artemis Health Institute introduced IGRT for the first time in northern India in late 2007 and thus has accrued the maximum experience in its use, having treated more than 600 cases with satisfactory clinical gain since that time.
Active Breathing CoordinatorTM (ABC) is an additional feature available with IGRT that helps to control respiratory movements during the radiotherapy process so as to prevent under or overdosage of tumours located in the chest or upper abdomen because of the normal breathing process.
Another highlight of the department is the consistent use of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scans for the diagnosis and staging of cancers as well as in the planning and response assessment of radiation therapy. The PET imaging data is ‘fused’ with the planning CT scan in the TPS for the precise definition of the tumour bearing regions that would not be identified in routine imaging. The use of molecular imaging thus has enhanced precision in radiation delivery and also resulted in an unprecedented percentage of disease control.
The radiotherapy department of the Artemis Cancer Institute has treated about 620 patients since its inception in January 2008, with a 65 to 70% success rate in the control of the primary disease and symptomatic relief of the concerned patients.
Team of Specialists:
