TomoTherapy centre launched

Ceylinco Healthcare launched the first TomoTherapy Centre in Colombo last week at a cost of Rs. 600 million. The centre offers one of the world's most advanced and precise radiation techniques for the treatment of many forms of cancer.

The Tomotherapy machine. Pic: Vipula Amarasinghe

TomoTherapy is an integrated, advanced form of three-dimensional image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT).

As a patient's anatomy can change from day-to-day, image-guided radiation therapy helps doctors make immediate adjustments to allow for tumor movement or shrinkage, weight loss and other changes.

"This is the second radiation oncology unit set up in Sri Lanka by the Ceylinco Life subsidiary Ceylinco Healthcare Services Ltd. (CHSL). The new Centre is equipped with the latest TomoHD treatment system from Accuray Inc. (USA), a pioneer in the field of TomoTherapy," a company spokesman said.

"The only machine of its kind in Sri Lanka, the TomoHD unit can provide accurate radiation therapy for even the smallest tumors and reduce treatment times," he said.

As a treatment machine and a CT scanner, the TomoTherapy system allows doctors to take a CT scan just before each treatment. With the scan, they can verify the position of the tumor and, if necessary, adjust the patient's position to ensure that radiation is directed right where it should be.

Ceylinco Healthcare Services, Chairman, R. Renganathan said that the number of cancer patients is on the rise and added that each month around 35 to 40 patients receive treatment at the centre.