Chennai: Apollo to launch its first proton cancer center

Chennai: Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the Apollo Proton Cancer Center in the city on Friday. The 150-bed facility, built at a cost of Rs. 1,300 crore, will treat patients using the proton therapy, a specialized form of targeted radiotherapy to destroy cancer cells, limiting the dose to the surrounding tissues.

The center is the16th center in the world to offer proton therapy for cancer treatment. The center will have three therapy rooms with advanced radiation oncology center with 2 linear accelerators. The center will have medical oncology and immuno-therapy facility, high-end day care chemo wards and five modular digital MRI integrated outpatient unit.

 “A pencil-beam scanning technology that provides the highest degree of precision will be used to treat complex tumors that are deep seated. The therapy can treat tumors of the eye and brain, brain stem, spinal cord, neck cancers, abdominal and pelvic cancers, recurrent cancers and paediatric cancers. A small dose reaches the tumor in a concentrated way, without damaging the healthy tissues of even the most complex tumor shape,” said Dr Rakesh Jalali, medical director and head of Apollo Proton Cancer Center.

 “Around five per cent of patients diagnosed with cancer will meet the criteria for proton therapy, which is likely to increase in the coming years. Proton therapy minimizes the damage to the surrounding tissues and reduced side effects in comparison to the conventional method of radiation. The goal is not only to cure cancerbut also to improve the quality of life after the treatment,” he said.

The center will offer site-specific personalized treatment procedures by organ-specific disease management teams comprising of surgical, radiation and medical oncology specialists. Proton therapy will help in case of limited treatment options or conventional radiotherapy presents an unacceptable risk to the patient. The proton therapy also reduces the risk of recurrence of cancer.