Dr.BRA IRCH, AIIMS

Disclaimer: This blog has been intended to be a source of information regarding the cancer division of a medical institution in India. Since the typical governmental style of delivering INFO regarding our medical advances to the outer world is so exceptional, I had to take the privilege in contributing to it. Of course, my intention is to expose the best of what India has, more specifically what AIIMS has in the field of radiation oncology. Apologies to people who feel this blog is repugnant

~~~~~~~ Do good if no harm, Do no good if harm ~~~~~~~

The Department of Radiation Oncology (previously referred to as Radiotherapy) is one of the four primary caregivers to cancer patients in addition to Supportive, Medical and Surgical oncology in the Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital (DrBRA IRCH), the oncology division of All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) located in southern part of Indian capital state, New Delhi.

BLOG OUTLINE

ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

AIIMS - Administrative building and the lawn in front - picture taken on a Sunday, 2009

DR.BHIM RAO INSTITUTE ROTARY CANCER HOSPITAL

- The Oncology Division

Dr.BRA IRCH name plate in Hindi
Dr BR Ambedkar is a jurist most known for his contribution to the Indian Constitution

Location of IRCH, AIIMS in New Delhi, India - View Larger Map

IRCH captured on an holiday

The department has two functional units - Unit I, Unit II

• Unit I
• Prof.Goura Kishore Rath - Director of Dr.BRA IRCH
• Prof.Pramod Kumar Julka
• Addl.Prof. Dayanand Sharma
• Asst.Prof.Haresh KP
• Asst.Prof.Subhash Gupta

Prof. G.K.Rath - Director of Dr.BRA IRCH






Prof.Rath visiting IGH, Rourkela.
He is a dynamic hero amongst the Indian radiation oncologists who has contributed to the upgradation of numerous radiation treatment centres to Regional Cancer centres (RCC) in different states of India.

 

Dr.Rath felicitated by the then Chief Minister of New Delhi, India [2010]

• Prof.Pramod Kumar Julka

Prof. P.K.Julka






Prof. Julka, a simple man by appearance, an able man in oncology.He has been practising clinical oncology since the burgeoning stages of medical oncology and has contributed to many multicenter chemotherapy trials.

Prof. P.K.Julka at one of his oration

• Unit II
• Prof.Subhash Chander
• Prof.Bidhu Kalyan Mohanti (Retired in 2013)
  
• Others: Drs. Suman Bhasker and Sushmita Pathy

 

Prof.Subhash Chander

Prof. B.K.Mohanti






His off side - Prof.Mohanti offering some Gardening tips






Prof. Mohanti presenting the impact of radiation oncology on our pediatric patients

Besides, there are a dynamic group of 9 to 10 junior residents(PG) and 15 senior residents (Post-PG). A group of radiotherapy technologists and nurses also form the team of Radiation Oncology.

 

Our department provides radiation treatment related care to cancer patients. Both OPD and Wards (in-patient and daycare) help to provide such care.

OPD

• Unit I - Tuesdays [room no.s 4,7-Ground Floor], Fridays and Saturdays [room 4-Ground Floor]
• Unit II - Tuesdays [rooms 2,5,6,13-Ground Floor], Fridays [rooms 2,6,13-Ground Floor]

Radiation Treatment Planning (RTP)

Patients are taken up for radiation treatment planning on the day of prior RT appointment. The different modes of RTP are manual, 2D, 3D conformal, IMRT and IG-IMRT. The best mode for each patient is chosen based on the location of the target(meaning tissues that could harbor cancer cells) in relation to the organs at risk(avoidance structures). Patients requiring Gamma knife treatment are referred to the Department of Neurosurgery.

• Techniques of Radiation treatment:

1. Conventional Simulator guided 2D plan
2. 3D-Conformal RTP
3. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy(IMRT)
4. Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (in 3D or IMRT modes)
   

Radiation Review

The "RT review oncologist" examines the patients once in a week for radiation accompaniments during the course of their radiation  treatment.

RT Ward [RadiaTion Oncology Ward] 

Housed in three floors (1st and 2nd floors-General RT ward with 26 and 6 beds, 3rd floor- private ward with 5 patient rooms)

MEDICAL EDUCATION

"M.D. in Radiotherapy" is awarded by the institute (AIIMS) after three years of education and clinical service in the department. The primary source of education is from the patients, their disease and response to radiation related treatment. The standard practice of post graduation for a term of five years is modified to a three years course(resulting in MD degree) followed by three more years of exclusive clinical service to cater to manpower to handle the needs of an immense patient load.

• Medical Linear Accelerators

• CLINAC 2300CD - Dual X-energy(6MV,15 MV) and multiple Electron energies(6MeV,9MeV,12MeV..)
• Elekta PRECISE- Dual X-energy(6MV,18 MV) and multiple Electron energies(with HDR mode for TSET)
• Elekta Synergy S - an advanced IGRT system capable of delivering accurately targeted radiation using VMAT

• Telecobalt machines 
• One Theratron 780C
• Two Theratron 780E machines

• Brachytherapy machines
• Microselectron HDR machines - remote afterloading machine using Ir192 source, one with 18channels and another with lesser channels
• Microselectron PDR machine
• Microselectron LDR machine using Cs137

Note: LDR machine is phased out in view of reduced availability of Cs137 isotopes globally and also with the availability of equipotential PDR and less cumbersome HDR machines.

• Treatment Simulators
• Philips WideBore Brilliance 4D CT simulator
• Nucletron Planar conventional CT simulator 

Nucletron Conventional Simulator(left) and its Console(right)

Theratron 780C - patient of HNSCC

HDR brachytherapy - 18 channel

Elekta Precise(left) and its Console