FM DECEMBER 2018 ISSUE - digital edition

events
India’s first Proton Therapy Conference
highlights new cancer care experience
Two-day meet focuses on the application of the technology in clinical practice
Global oncology specialists shared
their insights at the country’s
first proton therapy conference
organised jointly by Apollo Hospitals
and Particle Therapy Cooperative Group
(PTCOG) in Chennai.
Proton therapy, one of the most
advanced and targeted radiation
cancer treatments with a superior dose
distribution and minimal side effects, is
claimed to be helpful in treating cancer
more effectively and efficiently.
The Chennai conference on proton
therapy was organised for oncologists
from South East Asian countries. The
region’s first proton beam therapy
centre will soon be commissioned by
Apollo Hospitals in the city.
Over 400 delegates from across
India and Asia gathered at this first
international proton therapy conference,
which was iinaugurated by Dr.
Motosoahae Thomas Thabane, Prime
Minister of Lesotho.
The conference was divided into
sessions around key topics such as
the basic science behind proton beam
Dr Rakesh Jalali,
Medical Director, Apollo
Proton Cancer Centre
OVER 400 DELEGATES FROM
ACROSS ASIA GATHERED
AT THIS FIRST
INTERNATIONAL PROTON
THERAPY CONFERENCE
delivery and on how to assemble the
infrastructure.
Proton therapy centres are heavily
dependent on the support of engineers
and scientists to assemble the
infrastructure. The machinery involved
is far more complicated compared to
standard radiation equipment and
requires a greater level of customisation.
Standard radiation therapy
comprises of X-ray beams that deposit
their energy along the path of the beam,
to the tumour and beyond, resulting
in radiation being delivered not only
to the tumour but also to the healthy
tissues around the tumour. This causes
damage to normal tissue or organs
near the tumour. With proton therapy,
it is possible to control the location of
the release of the energy and precisely
target the tumour, causing the most
damage to the targeted tumour cells,
while sparing healthy tissues and
organs.
A proton beam is just millimetres
wide and facilitates effective treatment
of complex tumours in the eye, the
88 / FUTURE MEDICINE / DECEMBER 2018