FAQs

Radiotherapy treats cancer using radiation such as X- Rays. Radiotherapy is administered on specialized machines known as linear accelerators. Typically, it is delivered 5 days every week for a duration of 2 to 7 weeks.

Dr. Prasad has extensive experience of using high precision radiotherapy for cancer cure. He is trained at renowned institutions such as The Royal Marsden NHS Trust, London, and Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. He has pioneered the use of techniques such as Surface Guided Radiotherapy and Rapid Arc, which significantly reduce side effects and improve results. He has a highly trained, skilled, and compassionate team with him, to plan and deliver the best possible therapy and achieve excellent results. At Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital, he has put in place many best practices to provide you with the best possible care and experience with us. The features which make his team stand out are:

• Our hospital is a Non – CoViD hospital. We follow stringent safety protocols to keep you safe from CoViD when visiting us.
• The best practice in cancer care is to follow internationally accepted standard guidelines, based on research. Our team rigorously follows these guidelines to ensure the best cure rates and minimal side effects.
• Cancer treatment requires the expertise of multiple specialists. Every week, our surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists and & other specialists such as radiologists and pathologists, assemble together and discuss individual patient cases in our “Multidisciplinary Tumour Board”. This ensures that patient benefits from the expert opinion of all the specialists.
• We deliver radiotherapy using an unparalleled combination of state-of-the-art technology, rigorous safety processes, and highly skilled personnel.
• We choose the right option for you from our wide range of radiotherapy techniques such as Rapid Arc, IGRT, SRS, SBRT, IMRT, 3DCRT, Brachytherapy, Electron therapy etc.
• We have processes & technology for minimising the radiation dose received by normal tissues. This significantly reduces side effects.
• We conduct a weekly audit of your treatment progress and have checks & balances in place for your safety.
• We offer a unique cancer rehabilitation program along with radiotherapy. It includes nutritional guidance, yoga therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, and counseling.
• For your comfort, we offer services such as video consultations, a lounge facility, and playing your choice of music while you are receiving radiotherapy.
• Our hospital’s commitment to patient safety and quality of care has been recognised by the highly prestigious NABH and JCI accreditation.

Please report a few minutes before your appointment time and inform the receptionist upon your arrival. If you feel that you may not be able to sit down comfortably, we would be happy to arrange for you to lie down. Dr. Prasad will have a detailed chat with you, conduct necessary clinical examination, and record your clinical history. Depending on the investigations you have already been through, you may be asked for few more tests if necessary. He will discuss with the patient and the family members, the different treatment modalities available and their benefits. If radiotherapy is planned, we will give you a detailed plan and appointments. If referrals to other specialists are required, we will facilitate that for you.

Several techniques are available and they are appropriate in different clinical indications. Dr. Prasad will explain to you in detail about the best technique suited for your condition. Commonly used techniques are Rapid arc, Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT), Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), and Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS).

First, the team takes consent for the treatment. This is followed by making a mask or a mold (this is not needed in all cases). Thereafter, the patient undergoes a special CT scan of the region to be treated. Depending on the complexity of treatment, it then takes a few days to complete the Planning procedure. Planning involves marking the tumour & other critical structures, focussing radiation to the tumour using certain complex calculations, and conducting quality assurance checks. Based on the time required for Planning, we will give you an appointment for radiotherapy starting.

Radiation treatment is generally given 5 times a week, Monday to Friday, at a pre-scheduled fixed time. The doctors will intimate you if you need to follow any special precautions before receiving treatment. The therapists will coordinate with you regarding the appointment scheduling.

The treatment is delivered by highly trained radiation therapists who are experts in use of the complex equipment. The treatment is delivered under the supervision of doctors as per the plan approved by Dr. Prasad.

Upon arrival, the patient will undergo assessment by nurses for vital signs and if they are normal, will be referred to the therapists for treatment. Patient will not feel any pain, sensation or discomfort during radiation treatment. The patient is expected to stay still while under the treatment machine. The team watches the patient closely from outside with the help of CCTV cameras.

The side effects of radiotherapy have significantly reduced due to advances in the radiation delivery technology. Most of the side effects of Radiotherapy are related to the area that is being treated. The patient’s general health condition and nutritional intake also affect the body’s response to radiation therapy. The most common side effects are weakness, skin darkening, drop in blood count, reduced appetite, swallowing difficulty, hair loss etc.

Maintaining a good and healthy diet and avoiding smoking or drinking alcohol is essential. Skin in the treated area needs to be looked after. The doctors will give detailed instructions for it. The medications required to be taken will also be prescribed by the doctors. The team will give you specific information depending on the area of the body that is being treated.