Fortis cancer institute installs Karnataka’s first IORT system for cancer care – ET HealthWorld

The Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is a technique in which a concentrated dose of radiation is delivered to a cancerous tumour site during surgery after the tumour is removed. It eliminates the need for any external radiotherapy post surgery. This can save the additional time, effort and side effects of 30-40 days of treatment for the patient.

IORT is administered during surgery and results in reduced complications and course of treatment. Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road is amongst the selected few centres in India that can conduct the procedure.

Speaking on the intent behind setting up the IORT system, Dr Sandeep Nayak-Director-Surgical Oncology, Fortis Cancer Institute, Bannerghatta Road explains, “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in India as well as the world. Many patients opt for complete removal of breast even when lumpectomy is equally effective only to avoid a prolonged radiotherapy. The idea behind adopting IORT at our unit is to precisely treat these patients with a single effective dose of radiation which gets over in just 30 mins. Patient does not have to go through the usual long duration of radiation just to save the breast.’

Highlighting the benefits of the procedure, Dr Nisha Vishnu-Consultant-Radiation Oncology, Fortis Cancer Institute, Bannerghatta Road said, “IORT allows the radiation oncologists and surgeons to work together to deliver a full course of radiation treatment in one day. At the time of surgery, while the patient is under anesthesia, once the tumor has been surgically removed, the patient undergoes a single dose of targeted radiation delivered directly to the tumor bed. It uses a miniaturized x-ray source to deliver a precise, concentrated dose of radiation directly to the tumor site, while minimizing risk of damage to healthy tissue in nearby areas of the body.”