Bangkok Hospital Ahead of US, UK Hospitals In Cancer Treatment Options
Bangkok Hospital is now ahead of some US and UK hospitals in its options for cancer treatment, with the addition of a new high-tech piece of radiotherapy equipment.
Bangkok, Thailand (PRWEB / PRWEB) November 15, 2008 -- Bangkok Hospital recently acquired an IMRT machine, the latest and most popular tool for cancer treatment in the West. The acquisition puts it ahead of major hospitals in the UK and US, many of which are still to acquire the technology.
One of the major problems with conventional radiotherapy is that surrounding organs can be functionally impaired. Like chemotherapy, conventional radiotherapy can be especially hard on patients' quality of life. It even allows patients to be treated as outpatients, due to the decreased side-effect levels.
Other benefits of IMRT include:
| | - Lower radiation exposure for healthy tissue
- Enables concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as the radiation is so well targeted
- Reduces the chance of cancer recurring
- Reduces the cost of cancer treatment
- Long term side effects are virtually nonexistent
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Dr Chanawat Tesavibul is a radiation oncology specialist at Bangkok Hospital, and has been practicing medicine for the last 22 years. He is excited about having this treatment option for his patients, "I think we'll be seeing much happier cancer patients, and also be seeing them for a much shorter time before they return to a normal life. The IMRT machine puts Bangkok Hospital ahead of the game - it really is the future of radiation oncology".
IMRT was recently used to cure a 12-month old baby of her Rhabdomyosarcoma, a tumor of the muscle. With the tumor sitting between her hip bones, traditional radiation therapy would have caused her to have the pelvis of a one-year old baby. "It's unimaginable. [If we didn't have IMRT,] We probably would just not treat her, and then she would be at high risk of dying from her cancer," her doctor in the US said. However, the same IMRT equipment that Bangkok Hospital now has was used to ensure the girl's normal hip growth, and the destruction of her cancer.
About Bangkok Hospital Medical Center:
Bangkok Hospital Medical Center (BMC) is one of the most technologically sophisticated hospitals in the world today. Located in Bangkok, Thailand, BMC is an expansive state-of-the-art medical campus providing comprehensive medical care through multidisciplinary teams of highly trained specialists. With its four hospitals and broad range of specialized clinics, BMC is equipped with all of the diagnostic and treatment facilities not generally available at local hospitals. The center has received Joint Commission International accreditation and is known throughout the world for delivering world-class, award-winning healthcare.
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See the original story at: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/11/prweb1602844.htm
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