Dubai, UAE 8th December 2022: Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC), the first and only proton therapy centre in South Asia and the Middle East and India’s first Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited Cancer hospital, shared detailed insights and facts about the most successful focused therapy for cancer – Proton Beam Therapy. True to the Apollo pillars of expertise and excellence, Proton Beam therapy with focused and trained cancer management teams provides optimal solutions to treat cancer.
Dr. Srinivas Chilukuri, Senior Consultant, Radiation Oncology at the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC) spoke on Proton Beam Therapy at the press conference held in Dubai on the 8th of December 2022. The expert highlighted how complicated cases were treated with the utmost precision, and with successful personal experiences shared by the patients from Dubai treated at Apollo Proton Cancer Centre.
Proton therapy is a radiation therapy that uses tiny particles called protons as excellent cancer cell killers. Protons deliver their energy but do not damage healthy tissue in comparison to photon therapy. Therefore, a higher dose of radiation can be targeted at the tumor without affecting many normal healthy cells. Proton therapy can be effective in treating many types of tumors, including tumors of the brain, head and neck, central nervous system, lung, prostate, and gastrointestinal system. Proton therapy is often the preferred option for treating solid tumors in children because protons can be controlled precisely so there is less radiation to normal tissues, helping prevent serious complications and lessening the chance of secondary tumors.
Proton Therapy has multiple advantages that target tumors and cancer cells with precision and minimal exit dose thus reducing overall toxicity. It also reduces the probability and/or severity of short-and long-term side effects on surrounding healthy tissues and organs. It is favourable in treating recurrent tumors, even in patients who have already received radiation.
Dr. Chilukuri, Senior Consultant, Radiation Oncology at APCC, said, “Proton Therapy has emerged as an excellent treatment modality for a number of cancers. Some of the most common cases being treated at APCC are pediatric cancers, brain tumors, head-neck cancers, and advanced tumors of the prostate, bone, and soft tissue including in challenging locations adjacent to the skull base and spinal cord. Proton therapy in most patients reduces the immediate and long-term side effects of treatment leading to not just improvement in survival but also survivorship. At Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, we have the latest PBS technology which enables us to deliver highly focused protons, spot-by-spot and layer-by-layer encompassing the entire tumor with reduced or even no dose to the adjacent healthy tissues. It has been proven to be successful in curing or controlling many cancers when used appropriately.”
Dr. Chilukuri also said that Proton Therapy has emerged as an “excellent treatment modality for a number of cancers.”
Mr Dinesh Madhavan, President- Group Oncology and International, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd, said, “Apollo Proton Cancer Centers treats patients with one of the most precise treatments for cancers. Proton therapy is a type of advanced radiation treatment that uses a precise beam of protons to target and destroy tumour and cancer cells. The therapy is delivered using far superior technology and is very effective for certain types of cancer. Our Multi-Disciplinary Team’s (MDT) approach of discussing every case with cancer management teams enables patients to win over cancer.”
Sharing her experience at Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, Ms. Josephine Cuthbert, said, “From the time I met Dr. Srinivas and Dr. Rayappa, I could never imagine the care I received from the APCC team. The facilities are world-class and I was taken care of to the highest standards. I have so many beautiful memories during such a traumatic time in my life and my family’s lives but the people of Apollo Hospitals and Apollo Proton Cancer Centre are what I remember most dearly.”
Ms. Cuthbert was brought to APCC for the treatment of skull-base chordoma –a malignant bone tumor that needs surgery and a large dose of radiation. Her condition is now stable and healthy and leading a normal life.
Seventeen-year-old Kaashvi Bhanot was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2019 when she was 14. Then she had an early relapse and underwent Autologous stem cell transplant. In January 2020, she underwent proton beam therapy at APCC. According to Kaashvi, the doctors in Singapore, where the family was settled earlier, told them that due to the lymph nodes being close to her heart and breast tissues, regular radiation which has a lot of scatter would be risky compared to proton beam therapy which has less scatter and targets the anatomy of interest with the highest precision. Hence, the family opted for the latter for further treatment of her condition.
“At that time, Singapore didn’t have a proton therapy treatment facility. While searching on the internet, we came across APCC. We flew to India for treatment. At APCC, the treatment lasted close to a month. Dr. Chilukuri and his team took very good care of me even after the treatment. The treatment at APCC is top class and it is well-organised and systematic,” said Kaashvi, who is now leading a normal life as before.
APCC is the first Proton Therapy facility in this part of the world, serving patients from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. It has a fully integrated treatment suite that offers the most advanced treatment in surgical, radiation, and medical procedures. Apollo brings together a powerful team of renowned clinicians in cancer care. With a strong approach in treating cancer, APCC has an experienced multi-disciplinary team of highly skilled clinicians focused on delivering the best possible outcomes for their patients with utmost care.
About Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC), Chennai, India:
Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, the most advanced Cancer Centre, and the first Proton Therapy Centre in South Asia & the Middle East and is India’s first JCI accredited Cancer hospital. At the bedrock of APCC’s approach to treating cancer, is its robust multi-disciplinary platform; highly skilled professionals who come together to form a cancer management team (CMT). Each CMT is focused on delivering the best possible outcomes for its patients. An added feather in the cap is the recent launch of India’s first & only site-specific Robotic Oncology Program.
https://proton.apollohospitals.com/
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