High time for government hospitals to introduce IORT for early cancer detection
Photo illustrated by Sinar Daily
It is time for government hospitals to include intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) in their services, said Tun Dr Hasmah Mohd Ali.
She emphasised the need for accessible cancer treatment options, particularly for women who are diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.
"Government hospitals should have IORT facilities because there are so many women out there who need them,' she said while sharing her experience as breast cancer survivor at Prince Court recently.
According to Prince Court Medical Centre Consultant Breast and Endocrine Surgeon Dr Harjit Kaur, IORT is not available in government hospitals.
"At the moment, IORT is only available in university hospitals and private hospitals. It's a costly piece of equipment, but it is highly effective for early cancer cases. It's about time the government considers equipping hospitals with this technology," she said.
IORT is a form of targeted radiation therapy delivered directly to the tumor site during surgery. It is particularly effective for small tumors less than three cm in size and in cases where lymph nodes are negative.
Dr Harjit explained that it is ideal for strongly hormone-positive and HER2-negative cancers in women over the age of 45.
One of the major advantages of IORT is its ability to cut down waiting times and reduce the duration of external radiation therapy.
'Women often wait for weeks or months for radiation treatments. With IORT, we can significantly shorten that time,' Dr Harjit said.
In cases where patients do not fully meet the criteria for IORT, it can still be used in conjunction with external radiation therapy to reduce the overall treatment duration.
'Instead of five weeks, external radiation can be shortened to two weeks when combined with IORT,' she explained.
Moreover, IORT offers nearly equal results to external beam radiation therapy while causing fewer side effects.
'It's a very useful tool, but not everyone is suitable for it. That's why careful evaluation of the tumor type, biology and patient age is critical,' Dr Harjit added.
The introduction of IORT in government hospitals could be a game-changer for cancer care in Malaysia. By investing in this technology, the government can ensure that women from all walks of life have access to effective and timely treatment for early-stage cancers.
'The results show that IORT is the way forward. We urge the government to consider this seriously and make these facilities available in government hospitals,' Dr Harjit said.
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