Prof. Dr. Meltem Nalça Andrieu, the Head of Department of Radiation Onclogy of NEU Hospital, delivered information regarding the multidisciplinary approach that implemented and the importance of PET/CT scans in the cancer diagnosis and treatment planing.
According to the press release issued by the Directorate of Press and Public Relations Office of the Near East University, the fully equipped NEU Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, which is unique in Northern Cyprus, has been in the service of oncology patients since its establishment.
The Importance of Multidisciplinary Approach and Individualized Treatment Plan
In our era and all over the world, the treatment plan is indivudualized according to the phase of cancer and specific condition of the patient. In accordance with all internartional guidelines, our hospital also provides healthcare services within a multidisciplinary approach. Following the diagnosis stage of cancer, a committee consisting of specialist physicians from Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Pathology, Surgery and Oncology departments gathers together and evaluates the condition of the patient in detail and prepare an individualized treatment plan. The Near East University Hospital with its highly trained specialist physicians and high-tech equipped infrastucture attach great importance on carrying out cancer diagnosis and treatment procedures with a holistic approach under the same roof. This approach has a great importance in achieving success in treatment.
In Cyprus, RapidArc and Brachytherapy Devices are available only at Near East University Hospital
The new generation technology such as RapidArch and Barchytherapy systems keep the Near East Hospital on the cutting edge of cancerous tumor treatment and make the hospital distinguished from the other medical centers across the country including Southern Cyprus.RapidArch is an advanced technology used in cancer treatment known as volumetric Intensity Modulated Arc Therapy. RapidArc radiotherapy makes it possible to monitor patient breathing and compensate for tumor motion while quickly delivering dose during a continuous rotation around the patient. RapidArc makes it possible to deliver highly targeted treatments to many types of tumors. Diagnosis, treatment planning and delivery are the basic steps of RapidArch Treatment. During the diagnostic process, three-dimensional images of the patient are generated by PET and/or CT and then the dose of radiation required to treat the tumor is specified. This process is completed in less than 2 minutes. Then, very small beams with varying intensities are aimed at the tumor and then rotated around the patient. Each RapidArc treatment is completed in 4 minutes including the diagnosis process. During the rotation around the patient, RapidArc delivers the required dose to the cancerous tumor while protecting neighboring healthy tissues. During the course of a single rotation, a complete treatment is delivered.
Brachytherapy delivers the beam directly to the cancerous tumor
Brachytherapy is an advanced type of radiation therapy that is often used in the treatment of gynecological cancerous tumors. During the treatment, radioactive seeds or sources are placed in or near the tumor itself, giving a high radiation dose to the tumor while reducing the radiation exposure in the surrounding healthy tissues.
Being committed to the priority of patient care and excellence in services, the Near East University Hospital continues to offer the most advanced and new generation technologies available. RapidArc and Brachytherapy represent another outstanding step taken by NEU Hospital towards the fulfillment of its ongoing mission.
PET/CT images that taken abroad are not at the desired quality
Near East University Hospital is the only medical facility in Cyprus that equipped with PET/CT, which is the latest and state-of-the-art technological scanning system. An integrated PET-CT scan combines images from a positron emission tomography (PET) scan and a computed tomography (CT) scan that have been performed at the same time using the same machine. Being the latest and most advanced medical imaging technique used to acquire both functional and anatomical images simultaneously, in the same session, PET/CT is used in diagnosing and guiding the treatment of many diseases. The combined PET/CT scans generate images that pinpoint the location of abnormal metabolic activity caused by the disease and provide opportunities to carry out the treatment plans more accurately. However, the PET/CT images taken abroad aren’t often in desired quality. Considering patient care as its priority, Near East University Hospital provides the patients with opportunities of benefiting from the most advanced technological PET/CT which provides the highest quality images for diagnosis of the disease. An integrated PET-CT scan is a diagnostic tool used to detect cancer and find out the cancer’s stage describing its location, or where it has spread. Knowing the location and cancer’s stage helps the doctor to plan the treatment accurately. It also allows the doctor to reduce the side effects of the treatment by preventing the delivery of the radioactive beam to healthy tissues during the treatment procedure. The scan can also be used to locate an area for a biopsy or to evaluate the effectiveness of cancer treatments.
Near East University Hospital stands forefront with its broad and technological facilities for cancer diagnosis and treatment
Including Professor Doctor Meltem Nalça Andrieu, the Head of Radiation Oncology Department, and Specialist Doctor Özgür Altmışdöroğlu, Near East University Hospital Radiation Oncology Team voiced their wish for a decrease in cancer incidents across the country. They underlined that the health of many cancer patients have been restored successfully by virtue of early diagnosis and proper treatment in the current era. Drawing attention to the importance of minimizing side effects in enhancing patient's life quality, the team underlined that the Near East University Hospital with its broad and technological facilities and medical staff that specialized in their fields offers quality health services.