Kathmandu Cancer Center starts Brachytherapy

KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Cancer Center, a hospital in Bhaktapur established with the joint efforts of cancer specialists in the country, has started Brachytherapy services from today.

Previously, the hospital used the Linear Accelerator from Elekta, which treated cancer patients with external beam radiation, besides chemotherapy.

With the introduction of Brachytherapy (or Internal Radiation Therapy), doctors can treat a focused part of the body more quickly with a higher total dose of radiation as compared to the conventional external beam radiation therapy.

Brachytherapy is used for the treatment of cancers throughout the body, including cancers of the cervix, breast, oesophagus cancer, among others.

The precision of 3D-reconstruction based Brachytherapy to destroy the cancer cells only, sparing the tissue nearby leading to lesser side effects.

The cost of treatment has been heavily subsidised, the technology being established with the support from an American organisation – Radiating Hope.