Media Release
Mangaluru, May 16: The Father Muller Medical College Hospital has installed the New Age Linear Accelerator Varian HALCYONTM Elite in the Department of Radiation Oncology, which was blessed by the Bishop of Mangalore Diocese, Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, on May 13. The blessing and commissioning were attended by Dr Anil Couto, Archbishop of Delhi Archdiocese, and Michael D'Souza, entrepreneur and philanthropist, as treasured guests.
Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho, Director of Father Muller Charitable Institutions, welcomed the guests and the gathered audience, and briefed them on the journey of procuring the machine. The earlier machine had served for 15 years and exceeded its end-of-life years, thus necessitating the need for a new and next-generation technology machine to cater to patient care. The 30 crore setup is another feather in the cap of the institution, as it was delivered and commissioned 15 days ahead of schedule.
The Department of Radiation Oncology at FMMCH was inaugurated by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on December 9, 2007, and was equipped with a medical linear accelerator capable of providing conformal radiation therapy, including 3DCRT, IMRT, and IGRT treatment. Over the last 15 years, more than 12,000 patients have been treated with care and compassion, with most cases being done under the government scheme, including Ayushman Bharat.
HALCYONTM Elite offers easy patient setup and monitoring, providing comfort to the patient. Treatment planning is carried out with the most advanced Varian 'Eclipse' treatment planning system capable of IMRT, RAPIDARC, IGRT, and SBRT. Treatment is delivered rapidly and accurately, and the machine is capable of treating a high number of cancer patients within a short duration.
The Department of Radiation Oncology is headed by senior professor Dr Donald J Fernandes, along with his experienced team consisting of Dr Sandesh Rao B, associate professor, Dr Krishnaraj, assistant professor, and two senior residents - Dr Tony Jacob and Dr Lanisha Sequeira.
Services Offered by the Department:
- External Beam Radiotherapy:
- Rapid Arc (RA)/Volumetric arc therapy (VMAT)
- Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)
- Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)
- Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT)
- 3D conformal Radiotherapy (3DCRT)
- Palliative Radiotherapy
- Brachytherapy: HDR – Eclipse V3 18 channel Oncentra TPS – CT/MRI Compatible
- Interstitial brachytherapy
- Intra-luminal brachytherapy
- Intra-cavitary brachytherapy
- Surface Mould
- Mould Room: Advanced facilities
The advanced state-of-the-art model of Varian, "Halcyon Elite" Ring gantry Linear Accelerator, ensures that the entire treatment is more precise, more effective, and has fewer complications and side effects. All patients undergo 100% IGRT with fast KV CBCT volumetric imaging/MV CT for accurate localization and verification, increasing the precision and accuracy of treatment delivery. The treatment is capable of targeting the exact location of the tumor with CT scan imagery, preventing loss of adjacent tissue.
Dr Lenisha compered the event, and Sridhar C H, associate professor of Radiation Physics, proposed a vote of thanks and provided a briefing on the machine. In attendance were members of the governing board, Father Muller Centenary Charitable Society, management committee members, and the faculty, staff, and students of the Department of Radiation Oncology.