CyberKnife, Which Kills Cancer, Launched; Treatment Costs Rs 2-5 Lakh
Seethalakshmi S | TNN
Bangalore: Lawrence D’Souza, who is diagnosed with brain cancer, is lying still. A robot is moving closer to his brain. When it stops, the doctor treating him, seated outside the room, is on alert. He looks at the monitor before him. The robot zeros in on the cancerous tumour and destroys it. With absolutely no human intervention, the robot kills all cancerous cells. It moves again to track any other deadly cells around the same area in D’Souza’s brain.
CyberKnife, the mind-boggling technology that promises to treat deadly cancers, has come as a miracle for those who gave up hope. The bloodless and painless surgery is performed by a robotic system, using artificial intelligence.
With just two hospitals in the country—Health Care Global (HCG), Bangalore, and Apollo Hospitals in Chennai—procuring the high-end equipment, patients from several parts of the country, who would earlier travel to the US for this treatment, are coming here.
CyberKnife was formally launched by former President A P J Abdul Kalam last week. “It has redefined cancer treatment and enhances lifespan. The trauma, side-effects of chemotherapy and resultant hair loss are reduced. The robot moves 360° on the patient, blocks the normal tissues and treats only the tumour,’’ Dr B S Ajai Kumar, radiation oncologist and chairman, HCG, told TOI. The treatment costs Rs 2-5 lakh, depending on the stage of cancer and the patient’s need.
BOUNCING BACK TO LIFE
When Priya Choudhary experienced a pain in the abdomen, she dismissed it as routine cramps. A month later, doctors at a well-known Mumbai hospital told her she had a cancerous tumour which could be fatal. “Chemotherapy and radiation followed, but the tumour was stubborn and the cancerous cells began to spread. After five sittings with CyberKnife, I have bounced back,’’ said the mother of two. Nagambika from Mangalore, who is in her 60s and was paralyzed after she was diagnosed with a huge brain tumour, narrates a similar experience. “I came to Bangalore after I heard about this treatment. I was wheelchair-bound when I came in. I am confident of walking back home,’’ she said.
When Priya Choudhary experienced a pain in the abdomen, she dismissed it as routine cramps. A month later, doctors at a well-known Mumbai hospital told her she had a cancerous tumour which could be fatal. “Chemotherapy and radiation followed, but the tumour was stubborn and the cancerous cells began to spread. After five sittings with CyberKnife, I have bounced back,’’ said the mother of two. Nagambika from Mangalore, who is in her 60s and was paralyzed after she was diagnosed with a huge brain tumour, narrates a similar experience. “I came to Bangalore after I heard about this treatment. I was wheelchair-bound when I came in. I am confident of walking back home,’’ she said.
Dr S Bhattacharjee, who treated both Nagambika and Priya, said: “Cancer cells don’t die easily. CyberKnife not only kills the cells but also stops further reproduction, which could be fatal.’’
PRECISION TREATMENT
CyberKnife allows doctors to treat tumours in the brain, lungs, liver, prostate and spine, without causing any damage to other organs during radiation. Such is the precision that if the robot finds a 2-cm tumour, it destroys it. If it finds another 3-cm tumour, the robot automatically changes the cone to target the bigger tumour and destroys that too
CyberKnife allows doctors to treat tumours in the brain, lungs, liver, prostate and spine, without causing any damage to other organs during radiation. Such is the precision that if the robot finds a 2-cm tumour, it destroys it. If it finds another 3-cm tumour, the robot automatically changes the cone to target the bigger tumour and destroys that too
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment