Radiation therapy is a treatment modality dealing with the use of ionizing radiation for the treatment of disease, mainly cancer. In modern time, radiotherapy has become a standard of care for treatment of wide range of malignancy, for cure and / or palliation of symptoms.

The aim of modern radiotherapy is to precisely deliver a carefully measured dose of high energy rays (x-rays or gamma rays) to a defined tumor volume within the body and at the same time minimizing harmful dose to surrounding healthy tissue.
A successful course of radiotherapy depends on number of factors, which are followed with much priority in our department.

  1. Proper selection of patient for radiotherapy
  2. Accurate patient immobilization and simulation
  3. Correct delineation of the target volume [MRI, PET CT fusion]
  4. Appropriate planning of radiation to the target and plan evaluation.
  5. Precise and correct delivery of treatment plan.

Services

  1. Teletherapy 3DCRT (3 Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy), IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy) Rapid Arc, Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), Craniospinal Irradiation with Volumetric Arc Therapy SRT (Stereotactic Radiotherapy)
  2. Image guided Brachytherapy Intracavitary Radiotherapy / Vault Brachytherapy Surface Mould
  3. Treatment of pediatric patient under General Anesthesia.
  4. Inpatient and outpatient services.

Equipment

  1. Linear Accelerator for external radiotherapy: TrueBeam® II – (Varian Medical System, USA). First in Nepal
  2. Brachytherapy: 24- channel Gamma Medplus- IX remote after loading High Dose Rate (HDR) system.
  3. Varian’s Eclipse planning system
  4. CT Simulator: Somatom 20 slices, Siemens
  5. PTW Dosimetry equipment and Immobilization devices

Human Resource

The department is headed by Senior Consultant Dr Gisupnikha Prasiko, MBBS, DLO, MD with a total of 23 staff currently working with a commitment to provide quality services.

  • Sr. Consultant: 1
  • Consultant: 2
  • Jr. Consultant: 1
  • Asst. Consultant: 1
  • Medical Officer: 2
  • Resident: 1
  • Medical Physicist: 2
  • Therapy Technologist: 5
  • Nursing: 2
  • ANM/CME: 2
  • Attendant: 2
  • Receptionist cum Office Secretary: 3
  • From November 2016 till February 2021, we have treated 3147  new cancer patients. Modern state-of-the-art technology like IMRT & RapidArc was used to treat 1138 patients and 3DCRT or Hybrid IMRT was used in 1099 patients. This year we have started treating patient with stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), which enables treating smaller tumor with precisely delivered high dose of radiation over a fewer settings, usually 3-5 days. We have treated 527 patients with brachytherapy (Intracavitary – 399, Vault – 223, Surface moulds – 5).

NCHRC is the first center in Nepal to start;

  1. KV imaging and Cone beam CT [CBCT] for image guidance during radiation delivery.
  2. Volumetric Arc Therapy /Rapid Arc.
  3. CT guided Intracavitary Brachytherapy for gynecological cancer, 3 dimensional planning and delivery.
  4. Frameless SRT (Stereotactic Radiotherapy), for benign tumor.
  5. Craniospinal Irradiation with Volumetric Arc Therapy.
  6. H-IMRT (Hybrid IMRT) for breast cancer.
  7. Adaptive Radiotherapy/IGRT for head & neck cancer.

Academic

  1. Training MD Radiation Oncology Residents [NAMS, Bir Hospital] in state-of-the-art radiotherapy.
  2. Posting of MD Gynecology residents and Gynecologic oncology fellows.
  3. Posting of nursing students (Certificate/Bachelor and master).
  4. Radiotherapy Technologist Clinical Internship
  5. Regular weekly academic sessions [Basics – radiobiology, physics; clinical cases]
  6. Participation as resource person in various scientific CME, conferences (national & international) and health camps.

Future Plan

  1. To initiate MD (Radiation Oncology) or FCPS course.
  2. To initiate BSC course for Radiotherapy Technologist.
  3. SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy) and SRS (Stereotactic Radiosurgery).
  4. Interstitial and intraluminal brachytherapy.