 |
DEPARTMENT OF
RADIATION ONCOLOGY |
 | |
|
|
| The Department of Radiation
Oncology provides state of the art radiation
therapy services for patients of all types of
cancer. The department is equipped with the latest
radiation planning and delivery infrastructure.
The department has expertise and experience in
planning and executing precise radiation therapy
to achieve best results with least possible side
effects. |
| By using three dimensional
planning to map tumours and critical normal
structures, we can design treatments with pinpoint
accuracy. Patients can be positioned and radiation
beams aimed correctly so that the tumour gets the
maximum dose and surrounding normal tissues are
maximally spared. |
| The department of radiation
oncology has facilities for both external beam
radiation therapy and high dose rate
Brachytherapy. Radical radiotherapy,
post-operative adjuvant radiotherapy, and,
palliative radiotherapy are used judiciously to
give the maximum benefit to the patients. The
Department has been a leader in the use of
concomitant chemo-radiotherapy in the radical
treatment of head & neck cancers, cancer of
esophagus and lung, and cancers of uterine
cervix. |
| The department has many
pioneering achievements to its credit. Learn more
about the radiation oncology department through
the links in the sidebar. |
 |
|
![]() HISTORY |
 | |
| The department of radiation
oncology started In 1994 with a telecobalt unit,
Multidata treatment planning system, x-ray unit
for simulation, patient immobilization systems,
and, mould room facilities. Gradually, the
department has been upgraded with the addition of
high-energy dual mode digital linear accelerator,
microselectron high dose rate Brachytherapy unit
with treatment control station, spiral CT Scan
simulation, and 3-D conformal radiotherapy to its
existing facilities. |
| The department has been
involved in many clinical research trials since
its inception. The Department was chosen as the
only center in the country for carrying out a dose
escalation study of 2-deoxy-glucose with
concomitant radiotherapy in glioblastoma
multiforme by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine
& Allied Sciences (INMAS), a unit under the
Ministry of Defence. |
| The
first cancer hospital in India to perform
interstitial Brachytherapy implants in recurrent
brain tumours using microSelelctron HDR with
TCS. |
|
INFRASTRUCTURE |
| |
 State-of-the-art, dual mode, solid
state, digital, linear
accelerator |
 |
 |
 Control Unit
|
|
 T.P.S
|
| The linear accelerator is a
Siemens Primus unit based on the Klysteron
technology. The accelerator can deliver photons at
6 MV and 15 MV and multiple electron energies
ranging from 6 MeV to 21 MeV. |
| Linear Accelerator with dynamic MLC,
Amorphous silicon portal imaging, IMRT, from
VARIAN
Medical Systems. |
| State-of-the-art treatment planning
systems |
| Eclipse 3D treatment planning
system from Varian, USA |
| Facility for online treatment port
verification |
|
Spiral CT simulation unit with Dicom link
to the 3D treatment planning system.
Three moving lazers from LAP from Germany |
 |
| MicroSelectron HDR with Treatment Control
Station (TCS) Brachytherapy unit from Nucletron
Corporation, Holland. |
| Plato treatment planning system for
Brachytherapy from Nucletron Corporation,
Holland |
 |
| Physics equipment for calibration,
survey, and, dosimetery |
| All mould room
accessories |
|
|
PATIENT INFORMATION |
| |
| What is radiation
therapy? |
| With a history of nearly one
hundred years, Radiation Oncology has made
remarkable progress to occupy a very important
place in the therapeutic armamentarium against
cancer. Starting from radium and ordinary x-ray
machines, the specialty has made tremendous
strides with integration of information technology
in radiation planning and delivery. |
| Radiation oncology uses
photon beams (x-rays: artificially produced
photons, gamma rays: photons emitted by
radioactive atoms) and particulate radiation
(electron beams, heavy particle radiation) for
treatment of cancer. The basic principle of
radiotherapy is that high-energy radiation has the
capability of killing cells: both normal cells and
cancer cells. The selectivity is achieved by
delivering radiation to a target area containing
the entire gross and microscopic tumor and
minimizing the amount of normal tissue irradiated.
|
| What is the role of radiation therapy in
cancer treatment? |
| Radiation alone can cure more
than 90% of early cancers of head & neck area,
cancers of uterine cervix, and non-melanoma skin
cancers. Concomitant radiation therapy and
chemotherapy provides high cure rates in a large
variety of cancers such as head & neck
cancers, cancers of esophagus, cancer of uterine
cervix, anal cancers, etc. In addition,
post-operative adjuvant radiation therapy is a
very important component of treatment for head
& neck cancer, breast cancers, sarcomas,
pelvic cancers, etc. In many situations, radiation
therapy is administered before surgery for
downstaging of tumours to improve the surgical
results. For cases that cannot be cured,
palliative radiation therapy has a very important
role. Palliative radiotherapy can be used for
relief of various symptoms such as pain, bleeding,
obstruction, etc. |
| How is radiation therapy
administered? |
| Radiation can be given by two
different approaches: teletherapy (external beam
radiotherapy) or Brachytherapy (internal
radiotherapy). |
|
External Beam Radiation
Therapy |
| External beam radiotherapy
can be delivered by cobalt (using gamma rays from
radioactive cobalt) or by linear accelerators
(using x-rays). Linear accelerators have the
advantage of higher beam energies, more accurate
radiation delivery minimizing damage to
superficial tissues and less scatter at the
periphery of the radiation field. Current linear
accelerators have the capability to deliver both
photons and electrons and multiple energy levels
are available to tailor the radiation to the needs
of a given patient. |
|
Brachytherapy |
| Brachytherapy is the modality
in which radiation is delivered by placing the
radiation source within the tissues to be
irradiated. There are many ways of doing this:
intracavitary radiation (for cancer of the
uterine cervix), intraluminal radiation
(esophageal cancer, nasophaynx, ano-rectum), and
interstitial radiation (breast cancer, soft
tissue tumors, etc.), surface mould (skin
tumors, palate tumors, eyelid tumors,
etc.). |
| Brachytherapy was previously
delivered using manual methods but such methods
have a high risk of radiation exposure to doctors,
staff and patient's family members. Remote
after loading devices are the preferred methods
for Brachytherapy. Remote after loading
systems can be low dose rate (LDR)
or high dose rate
(HDR). |
| High dose rate systems have
many advantages: they are more state-of-the-art,
precise, safe and take much less time. With HDR
equipment, a given dose of radiation can be
delivered in a method of minutes compared to hours
and days for LDR equipment. This has many
advantages for the patient, as patient isolation
for a long period is not necessary with HDR
equipment. Admission to the hospital can be
avoided when using HDR Brachytherapy. |
| What are the side effects of radiation
therapy? |
| Radiation therapy is a
modality that has a low rate of complications or
side effects if properly planned and administered.
However, certain symptoms do appear during
radiation and it is important to be aware of them
so that undue alarm or panic is not created.
|
|
|
| |
Patients undergoing
radiation therapy can have general symptoms such
as | |
|
Weakness |
|
Fatigue |
|
Loss of appetite |
|
Nausea and vomiting |
|
Anemia
| |
|
|
| |
Irradiated skin has some
degree of swelling and becomes sensitive. If
subjected to local trauma at this stage, there
can be peeling of skin and oozing.
| |
|
| Radiation to the head &
neck area causes sensitivity in the mouth and
throat (mucositis). This leads to some discomfort
while swallowing. Attention to oro-dental hygiene
and diet can usually minimize the symptoms and
prevent development of secondary
infections. |
| Radiation to the lungs can
cause symptoms such as cough and shortness of
breath. |
| Radiation to the abdomen can
cause symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
|
| Radiation to the pelvis can
cause symptoms such as discomfort in passing
urine, increased frequency of micturition,
diarrhea, straining at stools, etc. |
| Radiation to any part of the
body usually leads to loss of hair only in the
area irradiated. |
| How can side effects of radiation be
reduced? |
| There are two important
approaches to reducing side effects of radiation
therapy. One is the use of modern methods of
radiation therapy planning and delivery and the
other is the use of appropriate precautions as
advised by the treating radiation
oncologist. |
|
Modern
Methods in Radiation Therapy |
| With the availability of more
powerful computers, two significant factors have
contributed to advances in radiation oncology. One
is the advance in imaging technologies. With more
powerful CT scanners and MR imaging, a much more
precise localization of the tumor and normal
structures is possible at multiple levels of the
body. This had led to the use of CT scan as the
mode of choice for tumor localization and
radiation field planning. The other change has
been the development of more powerful radiation
planning software that can utilize the sectional
imaging information to develop more precise
radiation plans that maximize the tumor dose,
minimize the normal tissue dose and avoid dose
heterogeneity within the radiation field.
Three dimensional conformal radiation and
intensity modulated radiotherapy has been the
outcome of both these advances and are redefining
the utility of radiation in management of
cancer. |
|
Precautions to be followed during
radiotherapy: |
|
Do not rub the skin markings, if any.
|
|
Do not apply anything (soap, powder,
oil, cream) on the marked area / treated area.
|
|
Do not scratch the treated area.
|
|
If face is being treated, do not
shave. |
|
Avoid spices and chillies in
diet |
|
Do not smoke and do not take
alcohol. |
|
Wear loose, cotton clothes around
treated area. |
|
Take more fluids. |
|
Follow all other instructions given by
the treating doctor. |
|
Consult your treating doctor once in a
week for review. |
|
Consult your treating doctor anytime
you have any unexpected
symptoms. | |
| |
|
|
