▲ Receiving VitalBeam treatment, the latest cancer treatment radiation linear accelerator. ⓒPohang St. Mary’s Hospital
Since Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital opened a new cancer center in February, it has been receiving attention from the local community by performing more than 2,000 cases of surface-guided radiotherapy.
Surface-guided radiotherapy is a new medical technology that was approved by the New Medical Evaluation Committee earlier this year, and is being introduced one by one, mainly in large hospitals.
Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital has proactively introduced and is utilizing the Catalyst+HD surface-guided radiotherapy system from C-rad, a Swedish company recognized for its excellence. Catalyst+HD is a cutting-edge device used in over 1,100 institutions worldwide, including the Mayo Clinic in the United States.
As the medical vacuum continues and many patients are experiencing difficulties, radiation treatment at the level of general hospitals in local areas is now possible.
Surface-guided radiotherapy uses three ceiling-mounted Catalyst+HD units to sense the patient’s position using light, so there is no need for ink marks on the body.
Therefore, it helps with hygiene management by allowing free showering, and greatly improves treatment accuracy. For example, if the patient coughs during treatment, the patient’s posture changes, and changes in the patient’s posture can be recognized in real time, within 1 mm, so that immediate response is possible.
“Since radiation therapy requires long-term, daily treatment, it is important to maintain the same patient position each time. At Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital, we can provide comfortable and accurate treatment without ink,” said Dr. Jang Hyun-soo, head of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital. “In particular, we can check physical changes such as swelling and weight changes during the treatment period in numbers, and observe the patient’s movements in real time, which can reduce treatment errors.”
Meanwhile, Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital is actively engaged in cancer treatment, such as introducing the latest cancer treatment radiation linear accelerator, VitalBeam, in February and successfully performing the most difficult gynecological surgery, ovarian cancer, in May. As a hospice specialized institution, it is also providing comprehensive medical services to terminal cancer patients in the region.
2024-09-07 01:51:31