About

This is a branch of medicine that uses different types of radiation or rays for treatment of cancer are called radiation Oncology and doctors are called Radiation oncologists

Our nature is full of many types of radiation that are either produced naturally or artificially or naturally e.g. Electromagnetic rays, UV rays, x-ray etc. As an effect on DNA of cells in the body, these are either called non-ionizing (almost no dangerous effect on DNA) or inoning (destroys DNA of rapidly dividing cells e.g. hair follicle, cancer cells etc.). Clinical pre clinical use or particles alpha, beta. Materials / atoms that emit rays and called isotopes e.g. Uranium, plutonium etc. These radiations are called ionizing Radiation as they have the capability of destroy DNA of cancer cells or rapidly dividing cells e.g. Gamma rays, electron particles, Proton particles, Carbon ions etc.

What are types of radiation therapy: There are two types of radiation therapy.

  • 1. Teletherapy or External Beam Therapy (EBRT): When radiation is artificially generated outside the body and delivered to the tumor present inside the body then it is called outside External beam Radiation therapy (EBRT).
  • 2. Brachytherapy: Very miniature size radiation producing metals called isotopes (Iridium-192) are placed at the center of the tumor that slowly kills the tumor. This type of radiation is called brachytherapy or Internal Radiation therapy.

How radiation therapy is delivered: To control radiation and use it as per requirement, Radiation oncologist uses a very sophisticated machine called Radiotherapy Units. Eg.
Cobalt Unit (Oldest): One of oldest machines which was removed by most of the hospital and outdated now. This was able to do basic type of radiation therapy and was associated with a lot of toxicity and poor tumor control.
Linear accelerator (also called LINAC): With technological advancement, scientists developed newer machines that can produce radiation only when desired and are computer controlled. These machines are called Linear accelerators or LINAC. Over the last few decades, lots of advancement happened in technology, computer. Few old or basic LINAC are Unique, Clinac and advanced Linac are Clinac iX, synergy-S and Tomotherapy. Latest and most advanced are True beam Linac.
What are expertise and machine available in Radiation Oncology Department at SICMAR: The Radiation Oncology department at SICMAR is managed by team of Oncologists trained in Radiation Oncology and assure proper use of radiation therapy, team of Medical Physicist that generate complex computerized plan and assure it precise delivery and fulfill various regulatory compliance, while radiation therapy technologist operated machine and delivered radiation therapy incoordination with team of medical physicist and radiation Oncologist. All of them came from various prestigious institutes like AIIMS, TMH and PGIMS. The team is able to perform all types of complex, latest cancer treatment and radiation therapy.
LINAC is available at SICMAR: Department is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.

  1. 1. Latest and advanced Robotic linear accelerator for external beam radiotherapy called TrueBeam STX. (TrueBeam STX linac)

  2. 2. Real Time Position Management System (RPM) for treatment of moving tumors.

  3. 3. Brachytherapy machine for internal radiation therapy (Gamma Medplus iX with 24 channel).

TrueBeam STx with RPM and RapidArc Technology (available at SICMAR):
Subharti Cancer Hospital has the most advanced medical linear accelerator called True beamSTx. It is “One in all Linac” that is designed to perform all types of available radiation therapy with high precision (less than 1mm accuracy). True beam can treat simple or complex cancer, static or moving cancer, single or multiple cancer, small or big cancer or even complex cancer present in the pediatric patients e.g. complete Craniospinal in Medulloblastoma or total marrow lymphoid irradiation (called TMLI or TBI). Most important feature of this machine is to perform Stereotactic radiation therapy such as frame based or frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT). With use of Rapid arc technology, it is capable of fast (2 minutes per day) and precise (Sub-millimeter accuracy) Radiotherapy.
With the TrueBeam system, treatment can be performed with unparalleled ease, precision and speed. These technologies make it possible to deliver fast, accurate image guided treatment within just a few minutes.
The linear accelerator is equipped with a beam shaper, On board imager (OBI-Kv), Orthogonal Kv X-ray imager, Cone Beam CT scanner (CBCT), 6D Robotic couch and Respiratory Gating (Real Time Position Management) system.