RADIOTHERAPY

The Department of Radiotherapy in Govt T D Medical College, Alappuzha, was established on 25th February 1994. This is one of the few government centers in Central Kerala catering to the needs of the Cancer patients from Alappuzha and the neighboring districts. The department is responsible for the comprehensive management of patients with cancer by providing Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy, Palliative care and Community oncology, teaching students at the diploma and postgraduate level and conducting clinical and translational research in the field of cancer.

The Department is equipped with state of the art Linear Accelerator with VMAT facility, a CT Simulator with 4D capabilities and Brachytherapy. The core competence of the faculty is in clinical oncology that includes chemotherapy and radiotherapy and radiological physics. Radiotherapy is used for both radical and palliative treatments. The Department treats around 1500 new patients annually.
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The department has OP on three days a week. Every op day around 100 patients registers for the department’s services.
OP days:-
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Time: 8 am to 12 noon
Phone Number: 0477 2282369
Email id: tdmconcology@gmail.com

Department has air conditioned daycare chemotherapy ward with 20 beds. The working hours are from 8am to 4pm on weekdays. Well trained and experienced nursing staff and security personnel are available. Biosafety cabinets for chemotherapy drug preparation and infusion pumps are available.

The department has well equipped IP facilities with 34 beds. Weekly admissions range from 15 to 20. Round the clock nursing and physician support are provided.

Dedicated minor OT is available for procedures like bone marrow aspiration, pleural fluid aspiration and brachytherapy application.

The department functions in association with the Department of Anaesthesia to conduct pain and palliative clinics. Faculty with specialized training in pain and palliative medicine are available in the department

The department conducts regular cancer detection and screening camps at various places of Alappuzha and neighboring districts in association with local bodies and NGOs. Cancer awareness classes are also conducted as part of the screening camps.

Two teletherapy machines, a Linear accelerator and a Telecobalt are available in the department.

State of the art LINAC, Clinic iX by Varian Medical Systems was installed in the year 2014. Since then the department has been treating 60 patients per day, on average. The machine is capable of giving both photon and electron treatments. All the latest modalities including IMRT and VMAT are being practiced to give accurate and conformal treatment to the patients. Techniques like IMRT and VMAT help in better dose conformity thus enabling dose escalation to the tumor and better protection of the normal tissue. The quality of life of the patient after treatment being a high priority, the majority of the radical cases are treated with IMRT or VMAT in conformance with the present-day protocols.

Eclipse 3D treatment planning system and ARIA oncology information system form an integral part of the LINAC for treatment planning and execution. The complete department is seamlessly networked including the CT simulator. Radiation treatment plans of the patients are done on the planning system and verified prior to treatment execution.

ATC Telecobalt machine, which was functional till 2017, is pending decommissioning. Purchase of the new Equinox 80 machine is under process.

Low dose rate brachytherapy is used for the treatment of gynaecological cancers. The department is in the process of the purchase of an HDR brachytherapy machine.

Philips Brilliance Big Bore CT with moving lasers was installed and commissioned in the year 2019. The machine is a 16 slice CT machine with Tumour Loc and Pinnacle Virtual Simulation software. CT images and data from the CT simulator are sent to the treatment planning system for radiotherapy treatment planning.

Well equipped mould room facility is available. All kinds of immobilization devices to immobilize the patient during treatment and customized shielding blocks are prepared. Our staffs are well experienced to handle all kinds of immobilization necessities.

Department of Radiotherapy is an approved PG training centre approved by KUHS and MCI. Three seats are available annually for MD Radiation Oncology course. In addition to this, the department imparts training to postgraduate students from surgery and Gynaecology departments.
Classes are also conducted for M.Sc Nursing. Training is provided to post-graduate nursing students for oncology nursing training as part of their curriculum.

Regular classes are conducted in the department for MBBS students. B.Sc nursing and general nursing students are also posted in the department for classes and training.

The department in association with the department of Radiodiagnosis, is conducting the three years Diploma in Radiological technology with an annual intake of 10 students.
Students from the Vocational Higher Secondary Schools in the vicinity, visit the center for observation as part of their curriculum.

Faculty from the department have presented research papers in various national and international journals. Various research projects are underway. Support and guidance are also provided for the research activities of PG students from other departments as well.

Regular tumour boards are conducted in association with surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology, ENT and pathology departments.

Faculty are attending various national and international conferences and workshops as part of the continuing medical education.

Hospital based cancer registry is maintained in the department. Details of the patients and diagnoses are recorded as part of the registry and maintained for further follow-ups and information. Proceedings for affiliation of the registry with ICMR are underway.

The Division of Radiation Physics works in tandem with the department to provide clinical, quality assurance and radiation safety services. The responsibilities of the division includes;
• Treatment planning of the patients for teletherapy and brachytherapy.
• Periodic quality assurance of all the treatments as well as machines and equipment.
• Ascertaining radiation safety of the staff and public.
• Advising the employer and licensee regarding the regulatory aspects.
• Communication with Atomic Energy Regulatory Board to ascertain the licensing of the department facilities.
• Maintaining the dosimetry services and dose records.
• Teaching and training post graduate, graduate and diploma students.
• Research and development and evaluating new analytical techniques.

The division is equipped with latest QA tools to ascertain quality control of the machines and the accuracy of patient treatment and delivery.

Mr. Anoop Jackson

Government of Kerala has upgraded the department as Tertiary Cancer Care Centre. Plans for a six storied building have been approved. The centre will include other specialities like medical oncology, surgical oncology, clinical haematology and bone marrow transplantation units. Purchase of second Linear Accelerator capable of treating very small lesions has also been proposed.