Dharamshila Hospital And Research Centre has recently acquired a new Elekta Synergy Linear Accelerator capable of IMRT, IGRT, SRS, SRT and SBRT. The clinical and technical application training of this machine is usually scheduled at a teaching Hospital in Germany. Dr. Hari Mohan, Consultant – Radiation Oncology, Dharamshila Hospital visited Mannheim Medical Centre, Germany for clinical training on Elekta Synergy.
Mannheim Medical Centre, Germany is affiliated to University of Heidelberg, Germany, the oldest university of Germany. The department of Radiation Oncology at this hospital is equipped with CT simulator, 3 Linear Accelerators, intraoperative Brachytherapy for breast, head and neck and pelvic tumors and interstitial Brachytherapy with iodine seeds for prostate cancer.
He has received a first hand experience of treatment planning with VMAT on Monaco planning system. It was enlightening to know the protocols and planning methodology being used at this centre. All the patients undergo CT simulation as a routine and are planned for radiotherapy with utmost care and compassion. Respiratory gating is used for tumors of lung, breast and chest wall.
The treatment is planned with Oncentra Masterplan, for 3D-conformal radiotherapy and with 5 different inverse treatment planning systems (Corvus, Oncentra Masterplan and preciseplan exclusively for static IMRT, Ergo+++ for VMAT treatments and Monaco for both static and VMAT treatments).
He saw IGRT being performed with stereotactic ultrasound and with X-ray volume imaging (Cone Beam CT, Elekta XVI on Elekta synergy).
Treatments were recorded with the MOSAIQ Electronic Medical Record (EMR) of the patient. MOSAIQ oncology PACS archives all critical data.
IMRT was used for the treatment of almost all patients of Head and neck, prostate and stomach. Tumor relapses near the spine were also treated with IMRT. IGRT protocols are strictly followed for all IMRT patients.
He got experience in Extracranial frameless SRT with image guidance (IGRT). In addition, LDR brachytherapy for prostate cancer is also available.
The department actively collaborates with other departments within the framework of Comprehensive Cancer Centre. This was very similar to the tumor board meeting which we routinely conduct at our hospital wherein every new cancer patient’s management plan collaboratively is arrived at after a joint meeting with Radiation, Medical and surgical oncologists together with oncopathologist and imaging oncology experts.
We at Dharamshila Hospital, have the same setup for Radiotherapy treatment and planning. In addition, we also have Nucletron HDR Brachytherapy facilities which are not there at Mannheim Medical Centre. It is indeed a pleasure to realize that we have the same world class technology which is available at most of the top institutes all over the world. We have been treating our patients with IMRT for the last 6 years and IGRT with VMAT is also now fully functional. That brings us at par with some of the best Radiotherapy departments across the globe. And we sincerely hope that the treatment outcome of our cancer patients will now also be at par with the best internationally accepted standards.
