Cancer patients can now receives radiation therapy at Cama Hospital
Mumbai: A 50-year-old woman with breast cancer became the first patient in two years to receive radiation therapy on Friday at the women-only Cama & Albless Hospital. This followed the arrival of a long-delayed linear accelerator machine used for targeted treatment.
Hospital officials stated that this is still a "trial run" ahead of the official inauguration. The previous machine was deemed unfit for treatment two years ago, after serving the city for over a decade and helping thousands of women receive advanced cancer care.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill or shrink cancer cells. Doctors carefully aim the radiation at the cancer so it affects as little healthy tissue as possible.
The treatment can cost over a lakh private centres but would be offered for free here.
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Dr Tushar Palve, the hospital's Medical Superintendent, said the radiation therapy room—also known as the "bunker"—is a specially shielded space designed to prevent radiation leakage. The bunker's walls, floor, and ceiling are constructed with thick layers of lead or concrete to absorb and block radiation. The total cost of the machine and the renovations was Rs 38 crore, sanctioned by the medical education department.
"We largely see patients with ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, and some mouth and bowel cancer cases. We had chemotherapy available for patients and now there are more options," said Dr Palve.
The burden of patients needing radiotherapy will now be shared between Cama, BYL Nair Hospital, and Tata Memorial Hospital.
A doctor from Nair Hospital said they also plan to procure the same machine, but for now, their radiotherapy centre remains functional with a cobalt machine. These machines are an older type of radiation therapy device, but they are less precise than newer machines.
"We only use cobalt machines, which means we can provide only 2D radiotherapy. About 40 to 50 patients on a daily basis require that machine," the doctor said.
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