First time in INDIA, big achievement for Radiation Oncology as gauging Radiation Exposure to tumor which is inside the body was unimaginable before.
A chip Installation, Medical expertise and team work made it possible for doctors to break the barrier and set up the new dimensions in medical history.
M4PNews|Chandigarh
In case of radiation given to malignant tumor outside the body which can be seen and feel, is easy to gauge its exposure to radiation. But, when the cancer is sitting inside the body, then only radiation reactions after radiotherapy or brachytherapy would certainly decide its fate. After a period of time of having radiotherapy, patient is asked to go for rest and then asked for tests so that the specialist may get to know the real state of disease for further treatment.
Now, no need to wait this long as specialist has this opportunity to see radiation exposure to tumor while treatment only. Though it is quite challenging yet this is what PGIMER, Chandigarh and its Specialists are known for. Professor Rakesh Kapoor, HOD Radiotherapy Unit II, have broken this glass shield by implanting thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chip inside the body, which can gauge the real dosage of radiation while treatment and could possibly tell the specialist the real time treatment. The specialist can take out the chip and can see how much radiation tumor has received and accordingly further treatment can be planned.
Mind you, thermoluminecsent dosimeter is often used in gauging radiation exposure but that have been experimented either in animals or outside the human body. Since, it is quite challenging to handle radioactive source inside the body, so this is the FIRST TIME IN INDIA, when a doctor have implanted such source inside that can check and absorb radiation measurements.
Dr Kapoor have implanted this chip in 10 cases and all have positive response to it. Dr Kapoor also have cited this paper in journal. As per Dr Rakesh Kapoor, “This has been quite challenging, we have been vigil with the patient. Even general surgery consultant helped us in this task. This would help doctors to treat cancer patients in the most positive way since this technique would clear the picture of disease like crystal clear image.