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Cancer and Radiotherapy
The above unit was inaugurated on 23rd of July 1982. The Theratron
780 Cobalt unit ( AECL, Canada) is a gift of the Protestant agency EZE
and the special building to house the equipment was donated by CBM,
both of Germany.
The Medical Physics activities
at Padhar Hospital started in 1982 when Mr. Christopher Hone, Physicist
from Dublin, Ireland came on deputation, he brought most of the dosimetry
equipment which includes Farmer dosimeter, 0.6cc and 0.2cc chamber, Sr-90
check source, water phantom, Portable doserate meter (GM type) PDR2 &
PDR3 all from Nuclear Enterprises, UK. The other Physics instrumentation
includes secondary standard dosimeter SD4710 from ECIL, Hyderabad, Isotope
Calibrator RC 4714 from ECIL, Gamma Area zone monitor Type PAM - 155 from
PEA, Mumbai. The first Radiation Oncologist appointed
in 1982 was Dr L. K. Badjatia and Radiation Physicist Mr. Anand Vijay Kumar
in 1983 and Technologist Mr. Anbalagan in 1982, later Dr W. M. Craig Martin
of Belfast; Ireland worked for a brief period. Ms Ruth Petit from Hammersmith
hospital, London worked as Radiotherapy technologist for a year. Physicist,
Radiotherapy Technologists- Mr. Shri Ram, Mr. Ajay Alpheus, Ms Mrinalini
Elizabeth Nathanial and two students undergoing Two year CMAI diploma in
Radiotherapy technology. The department is backed by a well
equipped modern surgical department.
So
far over 10,000 cancer patients have been seen and over 8500 cancer patients
treated with external cobalt therapy. The Head & Neck cases consist
of over 49% of the total cases and these include Pyriform fossa,
tongue, Buccal mucosa, Tonsil, Pharynx, Larynx, Secondary neck node etc.
Till 1999 total of 4185 Face & Neck patients have been treated, next
is Cancer cervix which amounts to 19% of the total cases treated. Till
1999 total of over 1600 cancer cervix patients have been treated by external
therapy and over 1000 by Brachytherapy using Cs-137 Manual after loading
system, Oesophagus amounts to 863 patients uptill 1999 and Breast cases
total of 467 (5.4%), Bone cases- 180 and otter's include lung, rectum brain
etc. which is 1242 upto 1999. At present we have 40-50 patients on daily
radiotherapy treatment.
Most of our patients come
from rural villages & towns of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra as in
a radius of 200 km there is no cancer therapy facility.
In 1992 interstitial implants was started by Dr. Anant Kekre and Dr S.
R. Shastri. The Interstitial Iridium 192 manual implant cutter, transport
trolley and storage container were brought from Rajkot cancer society,
Rajkot. Cancer Cervix in rural women continues to be
a major killer. It affects women in their reproductive age when they are
most needed in the family to rear up children and look after the family.
the factors that contribute include poverty, illiteracy, lack of health
care understanding, number of parity, number of children with inappropriate
gap between them, early marriage, early sex life, bad personal hygiene
and other socio-economic factors. With the availability of Colposcope in
Gynae OPD and PAP smear facility and a number of cancer detection
camps in the surrounding area, the uptake of patients has gone up.
Brachytherapy started in February 1987, inaugurated by Film star and Former
Member of Parliament Shri Sunil Dutt with generous financial assistance
in the form of Cs-137 source trains from Amersham U.K. Bed shield from
BLM Girdler, London, Source Transport trolley from Royal Free hospital,
London, Mini- monitor for contamination control, UK, Quartz fibre pocket
dosimeter from R.A. Stephen & Co. Ltd, UK from Nargis Dutt Memorial
Foundation Michigan Chapter (From fellow Indians in Michigan to fellow
Indians in Padhar). Dr. Margaret Snelling well known Radiation Oncologist
from Royal Marsden Hospital in London introduced the Amersham Cs-137 Manual
after loading system, which has major advantages. In
1997 the department acquired a Computerized treatment planning system of
TSG Integrations, New Delhi which improved remarkably the calculation procedures
of wedge, irregular, three fields and brachytherapy, calculations and improved
the treatment accuracy. The software supports two-dimensional treatment
planning for external beam radiotherapy with facility for dose calculation
in multiple fields, volume planning for brachytherapy, combined external
beam and brachytherapy dose distribution.
Looking to the felt need
of cancer patients, Palliative care which is the most effective and holistic
solution to reduce suffering and improve quality of life, was started in
January 2000, with a multiprofessional team consisting of a doctor, nurse,
technician, Physicist and counsellor. This Palliative care team will strive
to provide control of pain and other symptoms, psycho social support, counselling
and spiritual support, care and support for the family, empowering family
to provide care at home, teaching and training attendants to take care
of tracheotomy tubes, colostomy bags etc., and bereavement support as needed.
We seek your prayers and financial resources.
Cancer detection camps are
conducted every year on a routine basis in different parts of Madhya Pradesh
and Maharashtra from where cancer patients who are detected are given free
railway concession pass to come to Padhar for further management and treatment.
Chemotherapy schedules for cancer patients are extensively used for cases
like NHL, ALL, Head and Neck cases, Breast and other neoplasms and all
the facilities for treatment by Medical, Surgical and Radiation Oncology
are available at Padhar Hospital, including Hospice care where terminally
ill patients could be admitted in low cost care ward free of charge and
pay for their medications. We wish to raise volunteer support groups both
in India and abroad who would give their time, resources and service voluntarily
to the suffering cancer patients.
We are grateful to all those who contributed to the establishment of
this unit and look forward to participation and contribution of all
those interested in helping the weak and marginalized people of this area.Padhar
Hospital is a Christian Institution committed to bring
physical, social, emotional and spiritual healing in the nameChrist to
all regardless of caste or creed.
Facilities Available
