Best Doctors in India for IMRT
Best Hospitals in India for IMRT
Hospital Highlights:
- Apollo Hospitals is a private healthcare group in India, with its headquarters based in Chennai. Established in 1983 by Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, the group offers a wide range of medical treatments and services across various specialties.
- It is renowned for emphasizing innovation and utilizing cutting-edge medical technologies into patient treatment.
- Known as India’s first corporate hospital, Apollo Hospitals is often credited for pioneering the private healthcare revolution in the country.
- With clinics and hospitals located all throughout India, Apollo Hospitals is a nationwide healthcare organization. Its presence can also be found in foreign countries.
- Preventive health examinations, medical and surgical treatment, and diagnostic centres are just a few of the services that the Apollo group provides.
- The group has several centres of expertise, including Cardiac Sciences, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Emergency Care, Cancer Care, and Organ Transplantation.
- City: Chennai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- RIMC is a multi-specialty hospital in a sprawling area of 36 acres located in Chromepet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
- The facility has 450 beds including 130 critical care beds, 9 operating rooms, modern reference laboratories and radiology services, and is conveniently located near road, rail and air transportation.
- RIMC is led and managed by world-renowned physicians committed to healthcare.
- RIMC offers the broadest range of clinical care, education, and research. The hospital offers state-of-the-art technology and modern treatment facilities designed to provide health care at an affordable cost.
- Rela Institute is driven by patient needs, comfort and confidence.
- City: New Delhi, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh is a multi-super specialty hospital that strives to provide world-class patient care by leaving no stone unturned.
- Fortis, Shalimar Bagh, with 262 beds and a 7.34-acre footprint, provides the best level of medical care through its team of doctors, nurses, technicians, and management professionals.
- City: Bengaluru, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Established in 2007, the Apollo Hospitals Bangalore is a 300-bed multispecialty hospital situated in Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore.
- Equipped with the state-of-the-art technology, it is a leading hospital dedicated to providing healthcare needs to patients with compassion and expertise.
- It is the first hospital to have completed the highest number of Robot Assisted Heart Surgeries in India.
- Over the years, it has successfully conducted some of the rarest medical procedures such as spinal angiolipoma excision, autologous chondrocyte implantations, and tibial tuberosity shift with MPSL reconstruction.
- The Apollo Hospitals Bangalore has the reputation of performing the greatest series of airway stents in the country.
- Additionally, the hospital is known for providing comprehensive treatment in specialties such as gastroenterology, urology, gynecology, oncology, colorectal surgery, etc.
- The “The Minimal Access Surgery Centre” (MASC), one of Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore’s premier Centres of Excellence, is devoted to the use of minimally invasive surgical procedures.
- In 2013, THE WEEK-A C Nielsen, Best Hospital Survey ranked Apollo Hospitals Bangalore as the 2nd best multi-speciality hospital in Bangalore.
- City: Mumbai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Gleneagles Global Hospital The 450-bed facility comprises of 17-stories, housing state-of-the-art infrastructure, and advanced medical care facilities.
- The hospital offers end-to-end clinical, surgical, and diagnostic services. It is equipped with a team of eminent medical professionals aided by qualified nurses and medical staff
- The Hospital offers advanced Endoscopic procedures, Hepatobiliary and Liver Surgeries, Surgical and Medical Gastroenterology, Bariatric Surgery, and Robotic surgery.
- The hospital is a center of excellence for Orthopedics, Joint Replacement, Knee Replacement, and Hip Replacement surgery.
- City: Hyderabad, India
Hospital Highlights:
- CARE Hospitals were established in the year 2000, by CARE Group.
- The multispecialty hospital has 435 beds, including 120 critical care beds, with an annual inflow of 180000 outpatients and 16,000 in-patients.
- The hospital provides specialty medical services in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Nephrology, and Urology.
- The hospital has the first dual source, 128 slice CT scanner (for high precision cardiac imaging) – the first of its kind in south India.
- The hospital offers a wide range of accommodation facilities for the convenience of its varied patient base, ranging from general wards to super deluxe rooms.
- City: Mumbai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Fortis Hospital in Mulund is a 315-bed multi-speciality tertiary care hospital with five JCI accreditations that offers a wide variety of diagnostic and treatment services. The Fortis Hospital in Mulund delivers patient-centred treatment with cutting-edge technology, highly skilled and experienced surgeons, and paramedical staff.
- This institution houses Maharashtra’s largest multi-organ transplant centre. It is also the first heart transplant centre in western India to conduct 100 or more consecutive heart transplants in under four years. It is the only hospital in the city to have multi-organ transplants and has handled the youngest patient for angioplasty. Fortis Hospital Mulund now boasts the first advanced surgical robot in central Mumbai.
- Cardiology and heart surgery, urology, nephrology, neurosciences, orthopaedics, digestive care, emergency and critical care, and maternity care are among the services provided by the hospital.
- City: New Delhi, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka, is a super-specialty hospital in Dwarka, New Delhi, which is a part of Manipal Hospitals Group.
- The hospital aims to provide the best treatment on par with international standards at a fraction of the cost.
- Equipped with 380 beds, the hospital is also one of the new age hospitals which are equipped fully with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge technology as well as the latest and advanced clinical practices. The hospital also has 13 modular Operation theatres with 118 beds which are solely meant for critical care.
- The hospital comprises internationally acclaimed doctors and highly professional and experienced hospital and medical staff who are able to provide preventive, therapeutic, and diagnostic services all under one roof.
- City: Chennai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Located in Chennai, India, MGM Healthcare is a top multispecialty hospital that provides all medical services under one roof.
- Since its founding in 2019, MGM Healthcare has quickly become a leading national referral centre, creating several innovative flagship initiatives.
- MGM Healthcare combines next-generation medical and digital technologies to provide better patient results.
- With 12 centres of excellence, more than 400 inpatient beds, 100 intensive care unit beds, and 24/7 emergency care, MGM Healthcare leaves no chance in redefining the patient experience in Chennai.
- MGM Healthcare boasts 250+ expert doctors across 30+ departments, including Cardiology, Pulmonology, Neurology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and more.
- They house 12 specialized Centres of Excellence, including Neurosciences, Orthopaedics, and Multi-Organ Transplantation.
- Their team of doctors, nurses, and paramedics works together to give every patient individualized treatment.
Hospital Highlights:
- Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre is India’s premier multi-speciality tertiary care hospital and has been recognised as a global medical excellence centre.
- Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre has built an unrivalled level of trust with its patients over the years, thanks to a solid foundation that comprises cutting-edge facilities, the best medical competence, research, education, and charity endeavours.
- The hospital is quite proud of the fact that it now serves patients from all kinds of backgrounds, not just from the United States but from all around the world.
- The hospital has a total of 323 beds, one of the largest Intensive Care Units (ICUs), 12 Operation Theatres with modern amenities, over 300 consultants, and almost 1,800 personnel.
IMRT
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy, known as IMRT, is an advanced type of radiation therapy, which is used for treating cancer as well as noncancerous tumors. This procedure uses advanced technology in order to manipulate photon and proton beams of radiation to conform to the shape of a tumor. The goal of the procedure is to conform the radiation dose to the target while avoiding or reducing exposure of healthy tissue to limit the side effects of treatment.
Purpose
The procedure is used mostly to treat prostate cancer, head and neck cancers, gastrointestinal and gynecologic cancers, brain tumors and lung cancers, among others.
Doctors generally consider this procedure when a tumor partially surrounds or is close to a healthy part of your body that cannot tolerate the full dose of radiation being given to the tumor. When the tumor is not near any sensitive area, IMRT might not be required. You can talk in detail with the radiation team regarding which type of treatment is best for you.
Preparation
Before the treatment, doctors need to conduct a physical examination and medical history. After this is done, there is a treatment simulation session, which might include a CT scan. A small mark or a tattoo might be placed on the skin of the patient, as this can help to align and target the equipment. This radiation oncologist can use this scan to make an individual plan for the patient.
Sometimes it might be important to follow a certain bowel and bladder preparation regimen, or too fast, before the simulation and treatment. The patient might be injected with intravenous contrast material, during the CT scan, as it can help to define the tumor better.
Sometimes additional scanning procedures, which include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET) might also be required for IMRT planning. These diagnostic images can be merged with the planning CT, to help the radiation oncologist determine the exact location of the tumor target.
Sometimes it is also necessary to insert radiodense markers into the target for more accurate positioning. In general, IMRT sessions usually begin around a week or two after the simulation.
The team involved in this procedure generally includes the medical oncologist, medical physicist, radiation therapist, dosimetrist, and radiation therapy nurse.
Procedure
Generally, IMRT often requires multiple treatment sessions on different days. The radiation oncologist will consider the type, location and size of the tumor, doses to normal structures, as well as the health of the patient, to decide the number of treatment. Generally, patients are scheduled for IMRT sessions five days a week for about a month or two.
At the beginning of each session, first, the radiation therapist will position the patient on the treatment table, guided by the marks on the skin, i.e. tattoos that help identify the treatment area. If there were molding devices made, then they will be used to help the patient maintain a proper position. The patient might be repositioned during the procedure as well. Imaging systems on the treatment machine such as X-ray or CT might be used for checking positioning and marker location.
After the patient is positioned, the radiation will be turned on for a brief time. For each position of the machine, the radiation is on for only a minute or two. During the entire procedure, the machine rotates over you, while you lie as still as you can, breathe normally and relax.
The treatment generally should not take more than 30 minutes.
After the procedure
Risks and complications
Though IMRT has many advantages, it might not always be the best option for patients. Sometimes there are side effects of radiation treatment which may include problems that might occur as a result of the treatment itself as well as from radiation damage to any healthy cells in the treatment area.
The severity of the side effects that you experience can generally depend on the type of radiation and dosage that was prescribed and the part of the body which was being treated. Let your doctor and healthcare team know if you experience any side effects so that they can help you to manage them.
Side effects might be early or in some cases, late. Early side effects generally occur during or immediately after the treatment and should typically go in just a few weeks.
Some of the early side effects of radiation therapy can include tiredness or fatigue as well as skin problems. Skin in the treatment area can sometimes become more sensitive, red, irritated, or even swollen. Other skin changes generally include itching, dryness, peeling, and blistering.
Some of the early side effects may include the following:
- Mouth problems and difficulty swallowing
- Headaches
- Hair loss in the treatment area
- Soreness and swelling in the treatment area
- Eating and digestion problems
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Urinary and bladder changes
Rarely, late side effects generally occur months or years after the treatment and are generally permanent. They may include:
- brain changes
- spinal cord changes
- colon and rectal changes
- infertility
- joint changes
- lung changes
- kidney changes
- secondary cancer
- lymphedema
- mouth changes
There is also a slight risk of cancer from radiation therapy. Therefore it is important that you are assessed regularly by the radiation oncologist for complications.