Oncology centre boosts local economy

RICHARDS Bay can expect an economic boost from medical ‘tourism’ as patients flock for state-of-the-art treatment at Zululand’s first oncology unit.

This is according to Richards Bay Medical Institute trainer and medical physicist Yassar Rather, who says the first Linear TrueBeam machine in Africa will treat cancer with a high dose of radiation in less time with no radiation effect on normal tissue.

The specialist from India believes the world class equipment will certainly increase visits to the region as patients come to the centre for treatments.

‘Patients are on the lookout for quality treatment in less time.

‘Cancer patients want to get healthy again and look for equipment that can help them get better sooner.

‘Medical tourism is on the rise in the Europe and India and once people know Richards Bay has such equipment they will arrive in numbers to utilise the service and also for holiday tourism.

‘This will boost local economic activities,’ he said.

Radiation therapists at the centre, Rishaav Rammy, Ravasha Ransing, Raksha Singh and Natalie Govender underwent training with Rather and with Aline Imboden, an application specialist from Switzeland.

The young and dynamic team of therapists say the equipment has numerous features and patients can feel safe, even though they are left alone in the room during treatment, as activities are constantly monitored by cameras.

11 NOVEMBER 2013

State-of-the-art radiation treatment

THE ‘Varian TrueBeam’ installed at the Richards Bay Medical Institute represents a breakthrough in technology, providing unprecedented precision, guidance and speed as compared to other available devices.

It consists of a high intensity, high precision linear accelerator, able to generate a precisely shaped beam, which will be used under image guidance to accurately target and treat many types of cancer.

This new line of ‘super’ accelerators is designed to advance the treatment of lung, breast, prostate, head, neck and other types of cancer.

It uses a completely re-engineered control system and a multitude of technical innovations to dynamically synchronise imaging, patient positioning, motion management, and treatment delivery.

The TrueBeam system can deliver treatments up to 50 percent faster, with a dose delivery rate of up to 2 400 monitor units per minute – double the maximum output of earlier, industry-leading systems.

This makes it possible to offer greater patient comfort by shortening treatments, and to improve precision by leaving less time for tumour motion during dose delivery.

A standard intensity-modulated treatment that would typically take 10 minutes can be completed in less than two minutes; complex radiosurgery that typically takes 40 minutes to an hour, can be completed in just 5 to 20 minutes.

Intelligent automation further speeds treatments with an up to five-fold reduction in the number of steps needed for imaging, positioning and treating patients.

The precision of the TrueBeam system is measured in increments of less than a millimetre.

Over 100 000 data points are monitored continually as a treatment progresses, ensuring that the system maintains a true isocenter (focal point of treatment) which will reduce the margin of healthy tissue affected by the treatment beam.

7 NOVEMBER 2013

THERE was much rejoicing last night (Wednesday) at the official opening of the Richards Bay Medical Institute, which incorporates Zululand’s first oncology centre, where cancer patients will be admitted for radiation and chemotherapy treatment.

And they will do so using state-of-the-art technology as the centre boasts the only linear accelerator radiation equipment of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

The R120-million, 40-bed facility is located at the corner of Lira Link and Premium Promenade in Richards Bay, between McDonald’s and the Bay Hospital.

Watch a video of the linear accelerator in action from the Richards Bay Medical Institute’s Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=564285336960813