Cancer: Succor As APCC Unveils Technology For Improved Treatment

Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC), India, has said that the Proton Beam Therapy, being an advanced technology, has improved cancer treatment outcomes and survivorship.

Proton therapy is a radiation therapy that uses tiny particles called protons as excellent cancer cell killers.

The organisation, which disclosed this during a press briefing on Friday in Abuja, said Protons deliver their energy but do not damage healthy tissue in comparison to photon therapy.

Senior Consultant Radiation Oncologist, Sapna Nangia, while speaking on the Proton Beam Therapy, highlighted how complicated cases were treated with the utmost precision, and with successful personal experiences.

Explaining, he said Proton therapy can be effective in treating tumours of the brain, head and neck, central nervous system, lung, prostate, and gastrointestinal system, adding that Proton therapy is often the preferred option for treating solid tumours in children because protons can be controlled precisely so there is less radiation to normal tissues.

“It helps prevent serious complications and lessen the chance of secondary tumours,” he said.

Also, the senior consultant, Radiation Oncology program for Head Neck, Breast, and Gynaecological Cancers, APCC, Chennai, Dr. Sapna Nangia, said, “Proton Therapy has emerged as an excellent treatment modality for a number of cancers. One of the most common sites being treated at the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre is cancers of the head and neck. Patients undergoing Proton Therapy have significantly less discomfort during and after treatment and are less likely to require hospital admission, tube feeding, or treatment interruption.

“In patients with tumours involving the skull base, Protons improve the safety of critical organs like the visual pathway and the brain stem. At Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, we have the latest PBS technology which enables us to deliver highly focused treatments to each tumour, and each tumour is treated with protons, spot- by- spot and layer-by-layer. It has been proven to be successful in curing or controlling many cancers when used appropriately.”

Stating his mother’s journey, son of Ms Safiya, Mohammed Kabir, who was treated at the centre said: “In October 2019, my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer in Dubai and she underwent surgery in the country. After taking a few sessions of chemotherapy, she returned to Nigeria. For a follow-up, we wanted to take her to Turkey, but all our research showed that Apollo Proton Cancer Centre was a better option considering the expertise, knowledge, and advanced technology that its equipped with. We could not have made a better decision as we got the best service, treatment and care at APCC.”