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.