In 2020, nearly 30,000 new cancer cases were reported in Sri Lanka and there is an 11% risk of developing cancer among Sri Lankans before the age of 75 years, according to the global cancer statistics report issued by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization. In addition, the National Cancer Registry of Sri Lanka indicates a gradual rise in cancer incidence in the country annually according to a report released on its website. While non-communicable diseases are one of the highest causes of death in Sri Lanka, cancer is becoming a serious concern for local medical practitioners.
Globally, cancer is one of the most researched areas of medical treatment due to the increasing number of cancer patients worldwide. Cancer treatment is making breakthroughs in the world with advanced surgical and radiation therapy (RT) techniques, and immunotherapy drugs. These different medical approaches have been proven successful at different stages of a patient’s treatment process.
Leading the way in facilitating advanced cancer treatment is Parkway Patient Assistant Centre in Sri Lanka which has helped thousands of patients lengthen their life span or completely beat the disease. It is the counterpart for the hospitals that use the latest technology in their treatments for the best clinical outcome in the region. Further information can be obtained from the Parkway Patient Assistant Centre representing Mount Elizabeth, Mount Elizabeth Novena, Gleneagles and Parkway East Hospitals in Colombo. Parkway Patient Assistant Centre secret lies in the advanced personalized treatment plans Parkway specializes in that cater to patients’ individual care needs and expectations with a multidisciplinary team approach.
Some of these include Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Body RT (SBRT) , Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Body RT (SBRT), Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) , Flash RT and Artificial intelligence (AI) in RT .
Side effects of cancer treatments make some Sri Lankans hesitant of receiving treatment but these treatments are standard accepted care for many cancer types, with fewer side effects. IMRT can focus intense beams on pre-designated targets in the body. The accuracy of IGRT treatment is high. Both these techniques are more advanced than RT which shows limitations in the treatment delivery.
“These multi disciplinary treatments address several concerns of cancer patients. Some of them such as
SBRT treatment provide good disease control for the brain or the rest of the body butis recommended only for certain patients due to the large doses of radiation focused on small tumor targets. Similarly, Proton Beam Therapy or PBT has low side effects as healthy organs are less exposed to radiation during the treatment. So depending on the patient a combination of treatments can be offered to provide relief and lower longer term risks,” said Mr. Shuvo Hridayesh, Country Manager at the Sri Lanka Parkway Cancer Center.
In Sri Lanka, many children suffer from leukemia and many adults suffer from chordoma, brain tumors, prostate cancer, esophageal cancer. Sensitive age categories to the long-term effects of radiation and adults who suffer from the mentioned cancers can benefit from the lower toxicity in treatments such as PBT or flash RT radiation which has fewer side effects.
“Cancer treatments are so advanced that we also use artificial intelligence to increase efficiency of the treatment. AI helps to maintain pinpoint accuracy despite variations in the tumor location and improves image resolution, decision support, and prediction of long-term treatment outcomes. These technology combinations can not only lengthen the life span and reduce risks but also long term suffering for most patients,” Hridayesh said.
