New Modalities of Treatment

• Cryo surgery for liver tumors.
• Long term venous access.
• Intra–operative radiotherapy.
• Stereo tactic biopsies – breast lesions.
• High intensity chemotherapy.
• Bone marrow transplant.

Activities of the cancer unit
The Cancer Institute established a screening OPD including mammography, for the first time in Pune for detecting early cancers in 1993. Screened more than 2600 women from Aug.1993 to March 1998 and detected 75 early breast cancers and 46 other cancers (cervix, oral cavity and esophagus). More importantly detected 14 cases of breast cancers in women who otherwise had no outward symptoms. Every patient is treated after a thorough discussion in a joint meeting of the Radiation Oncologist, Chemotherapist, Cancer Surgeon and other specialists.

The work load of the Cancer institute has increased by 25% to 75% in various departments from 1996 to1998. New techniques like Hepatic Cryosurgery and Stereo tactic breast biopsy have been introduced. Facilities for Peripheral Blood stem Cell transplant and Bone Marrow transplant have been established. The workload in various departments of the Institute is depicted graphically on this page

Chemotherapy
This is the specialized science of administering anti–cancer drugs. There have been giant strides made in the cure rates of many cancers with the introduction of new and efficacious drugs. The side–effects of the cytotoxic drugs are effectively countered at our Institute with personalized care during and after chemotherapy. The future direction for our department is to develop high intensity chemotherapy regimes. The Cell Separator shown in the inset helps to provide blood components for patients which helps combat the chemotherapy induced complications. The drugs are delivered through long term venous access devices thus preventing local complications. Most drugs are administered in a pleasant day care room.

Bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplant
Facilities for bone marrow transplant and PBSCT are now being commissioned at in our institute. In relapsed and advanced solid tumors like breast, ovary and germ cell tumors results with conventional chemotherapy regimes are poor. Today the trend is towards high dose chemotherapy for these tumors. This is possible with our cell separator machine whereby the patient’s own stem cells are separated out before treatment and are infused back after high doses of chemotherapy. This method of replacing the patient’s stem cells is called autologous peripheral blood cell rescue, and obviates the need for a donor bone marrow transplant.

Stimulator
A sophisticated automated X–ray unit which mimics the treatment machine cobalt 60 or linear accelerator) in all respects other than actually treating the patient. It is akin to the Simulator used to train pilots. The tumor is localized and the treatment parameters selected so as to aim the Radiation beams precisely onto the tumor, accurately and adequately while sparing surrounding organs. These parameters are then verified by the computer before the actual treatment is delivered.