First installation of Varian's RapidArc radiotherapy system in Bangladesh

1 March 2011

Varian Medical Systems has installed the first RapidArc system in Bangladesh at United Hospital in Dhaka.

Treatments using RapidArc technology with respiratory gating have started on a new Clinac iX medical linear accelerator at the new hospital's Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre.

“As well as offering great precision and excellent dose distribution, RapidArc enables us to deliver the dose more quickly,” said Dr Ayan Basu, MD, head of radiation oncology at United Hospital, which is Bangledesh’s first comprehensive cancer center.

“This is a country with long waiting lists for treatment, so RapidArc will help us to treat many patients with advanced radiotherapy techniques. We are delighted to be the first hospital in the country to provide RapidArc for the benefit of our patients.”

Doctors at United Hospital have begun delivering RapidArc on prostate and head/neck cancer patients. Dr Basu said RapidArc is being used initially to treat cancers such as prostate, cervical and anal canal, and will also be used for stereotactic body radiotherapy treatments, which involve the use of very high-dose beams to quickly attack certain types of tumours in areas like the lung, liver, or spine.

The RapidArc-equipped Clinac device, ordered in June and installed in December, is the first treatment machine at the new facility. Two additional radiotherapy rooms have been constructed to allow for future expansion. United Hospital has acquired the first PET-CT and cyclotron in Bangladesh and also offers treatments using a Varian GammaMed HDR (high dose rate) brachytherapy afterloader.

United Hospital is a private, 450-bed multi-disciplinary hospital designated as a referral hospital by the Bangladesh government. It is situated on the lakeside area in Gulshan, a premier diplomatic and residential district of Dhaka.

“We are honoured to be associated with this wonderful new facility serving the people of Bangladesh,” says Rolf Staehelin, Varian’s international marketing director. “There are huge challenges facing cancer treatment in Bangladesh, with many patients travelling to Singapore and India for treatment, and we hope RapidArc at United will play its part in starting to address the country’s extensive cancer burden.”

There are believed to be over one million people with cancer in Bangladesh, with approximately 200,000 new cases being reported annually and approximately 150,000 deaths associated with the disease.

 

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