American Hospital Dubai Launches Advanced Radiation Therapy as Hospital Develops Cancer Care Regional Center of Excellence
American Hospital Dubai introducing the advanced RT as a major step forward in developing a regional center of excellence in cancer care
- (1888PressRelease) December 05, 2011 - The American Hospital Dubai has launched its new Radiation Therapy (RT) unit at the Cancer Care Center at the Dubai campus, with a team of six specialist staff. Based on the most advanced RT technology available (RapidArc® linear accelerator), the new radiation oncology service is designed for patients requiring curative and palliative radiotherapy as part of their cancer treatment.
Radiotherapy is the use of ionising radiation to treat cancers in adults and children. With the addition of the new radiotherapy capabilities, the Hospital's Cancer Care Center now offers the most comprehensive range of advanced care, diagnostics and treatment options for all types of cancer, in Dubai. The RT unit has been licensed to operate by the Dubai Health Authority and is now treating patients.
Radiation Therapy treats cancer by delivering high-energy beams (radiation) directly to the intended target. It has two equally important goals: to control the growth of the cancerous tumor whilst minimizing exposure to the surrounding normal, healthy tissue. Today, Radiation Therapy is a common form of treatment for cancer. According to the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), two out of three cancer patients will receive radiation therapy-either alone or in combination with other treatment approaches, such as surgery and chemotherapy.
The Cancer Care Center uses RapidArc® radiotherapy technology, which is a major advance that improves radiation dose conformity while significantly shortening treatment times. RapidArc delivers treatments two to eight times faster than other comparable treatments and also increases precision - a combination that enables physicians to improve the standard of care for patients. RapidArc treatment plans have been found to be equivalent or better at targeting cancerous tumors, and superior in protecting critical areas of the body including the spinal cord, brainstem, eyes, optic nerve and chiasm, parotid glands, and brain. Tests show that even complex RapidArc treatment plans can be delivered in less than two minutes.
Dr. Salim Chaib Rassou Radiation Oncologist at the American Hospital Dubai, commented: "Physicians have been treating patients with radiation therapy safely and effectively for more than 100 years and nearly two-thirds of cancer patients are treated with radiation during their illness. So RT is a fundamentally important part of the Cancer Care Center and we are delighted that we have access to the most advanced technology available as well as a team of highly experienced oncology specialists. The American Hospital Dubai now provides comprehensive cancer care, medical imaging and treatment options, including chemotherapy and surgery in addition to radiotherapy."
The radiotherapy service at the American Hospital Dubai forms part of the pathway of cancer care for patients and has been developed for children/adults requiring radiotherapy as part of the treatment for their cancer care management. The service involves the work of radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, radiotherapy physics and dosimetry, radiotherapy nursing and clerical and administration. The core activity of the department is the provision of radiotherapy services to patients from the point of referral to completion of treatment.
"Introducing advanced RT is a major step forward for us in developing a regional center of excellence in cancer care," added Mr Thomas Murray, CEO of the American Hospital Dubai. "The RapidArc technology is truly the state of the art and will make a significant difference in the quality and effectiveness of treatment for cancer patients in the community. We have had a lot of interest in the new unit and the very exprienced team is already treating patients. Our ultimate objective is to provide effective curative and palliative radiotherapy treatment and care to patients in a compassionate, safe and modern environment."
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