ONCOLOGY – SMC

Cancer treatments can be cause physical and mental strain for even our most physically fit patients. We provide a transportation service to get you to and from your treatments with relative ease. For foreign patients, Southern Medical will assist you with travel and hotel arrangements for your trip. For further information call or email us at [email protected]

Cancer Services & Support

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Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer using various drugs. Since cancer cells have varying growth rates, different types of chemotherapy drugs are used to target the growth pattern of specific types of cancer cells.
Chemotherapy can be used in combination with surgery and radiation therapy to achieve the best results (this could be to cure, control or ease cancer symptoms).

Main Purposes of Chemotherapy:

· Shrink a tumor before surgery or radiation therapy (neo-adjuvant therapy)

· Destroy cancer cells that may remain after surgery or radiation therapy (adjuvant chemotherapy)

· Increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy

· Kill recurring cancer cells (recurrent cancer) or cancer that has spread to other organs (metastatic cancer) How is chemotherapy delivered? Chemotherapy can be administered orally or intravenously (directly into the vein)

. While oral chemotherapy can be done at home, regular check ups at the hospital are required

. Intravenous chemotherapy can be administered in three ways:

· Single injection

· Intravenous infusion (drip)

· Continuous infusion (delivered through a pump that is worn continuously by the patient) Side Effects

· Nausea and Vomitting

· Diarrhoea· Loss of appetite

· Fatigue

· Low white blood cell count

· Low red blood cell count· Low platelet count

· Mucositis

· Hair Loss

· Dry Skin

· Nail discoloration

· Issues with Fertility

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Radiotherapy

Southern Medical Clinic revolutionized radiation treatment in the region with the advanced linear accelerator (LINAC).

The LINAC provides the capability for Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), an advanced form of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).
Treatment can last as little as 2 minutes, a fraction of the time that conventional IMRT or static treatments take. The LINAC is equipped with an on-board imaging system (OBI), which allows us to perform Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT).

This imaging capability ensures the accuracy of the treatment as we can monitor the position of visible tumors and sensitive organs during treatment. The LINAC’s improved targeting capabilities result in less damage to normal tissues and organs. This not only leads to a comfortable treatment option for patients but also results are more precise with improved tumour control and fewer side effects.

WHAT PATIENTS CAN EXPECT FROM THE RADIATION THERAPY PROCESSThe delivery of high precision radiation therapy requires complex, accurately calibrated equipment and highly specialised clinical and health professionals. A patient can expect the following steps in the radiation therapy process at our Oncology Centre: CT SIMULATION A CT simulation scan is performed to ascertain the position of the tumor as well as the position the patient should be in to receive treatment. This scan is performed by our friendly radiation therapists in our Imaging Department. For the patient’s comfort and reproducibility of the setup, special immobilization aids may be used. The type of immobilization aids is dependent on the tumour site, instructions of the radiation oncologist and your ability to maintain a comfortable position. In the case of cancers of the head and neck a special thermoplastic mask is fabricated for the patient at the time of CT simulation. TREATMENT PLANNING Using specialized treatment planning computers
· Medical Dosimetrist contours organs at risk
· Clinical Oncologist outlines the tumour volumes, reviews the organs at risk and prescribes the radiation dose and technique
· Medical Dosimetrist creates treatment plan to optimally deliver radiation dose to the tumour and minimize radiation dose to any nearby normal organs
· Clinical Oncologist reviews and approves the treatment plan. QUALITY ASSURANCE
· The approved treatment plan is reviewed by the medical physicist who will do an independent check to verify that accuracy of treatment plan
· For complex treatment plans/techniques (IMRT & VMAT) , measurements are made using specialized phantoms to verify the radiation dose TREATMENT DELIVERY
· Patient’s medical record is reviewed by the radiation therapist (RT)
· Treatment plan is loaded from the oncology information system to the linear accelerator by the RT
· Patient is aligned using lasers
· Imaging is done to verify accuracy of position
· Treatment is delivered

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Cancer Support

Support for Cancer patients and their families and caregivers is an important aspect of the holistic treatment offered at our Institution. We address not only the physical aspects of healing, but ensure that patients receive counseling as we recognize the importance of managing the emotional and mental aspects of their wellness.
The Objectives are:
· To bring a feeling of hope to all those affected or afflicted with Cancer.
· To create contacts and develop peer support and counseling.
· To provide health education opportunities for the patient, family members and friends.
Explanations are provided to persons concerned so that their understanding of the disease is critical to how it’s being managed.
· To facilitate coping mechanisms at all stages of a patient’s journey.
· Empowerment- Assist patients in understanding treatment regimens; treatment options and side effects.
· To reduce the isolation factor. For further information, contact: [email protected]

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