Hospital Radioterapy

The Hospital Radiotherapy Service is equipped with the following advanced technology:

· CT Simulator (AQUILION LB MULTI by Toshiba), installed in 2009.

· High-Dose-Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy System (GAMMAMED PLUS by Varian), initially installed in 1985 and upgraded in 2015.

· Accessories for Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT): Dedicated tools for high-precision targeting.

· Custom Patient Immobilization and Positioning Devices: Ensuring optimal precision and reproducibility during treatment.

· Linear Accelerator (SL Precise by ELEKTA): Operates with photon energies of 6-8 MV and electron energies of 6-12 MeV, equipped with a multi-leaf collimator and portal imaging verification system. This accelerator, installed in 2006, was operational until August 31, 2022, and subsequently decommissioned due to obsolescence. Replacement equipment has not yet been installed.

· Treatment Planning System (TPS): ONCENTRA, utilized by the medical physics team for advanced treatment planning.

· Dedicated Brachytherapy Treatment Planning System: BRACHYVISION, for precise dosimetry and planning.

The Hospital Radiotherapy Service specializes in the treatment of:

· Breast cancer.

· Urogenital cancers.

· Gastrointestinal cancers.

· Head and neck cancers.

· Hematological malignancies.

· Thoracic cancers.

· Central nervous system tumors.

· Secondary malignancies (bone, brain, liver metastases, etc.).

The service provides radiotherapy treatments for oncology patients under both: Inpatient care - 124 patients/year and Day-service hospitalization - 310 patients/year. Consultations for hospitalized patients are managed through the SISWEB system, enabling seamless communication between departments.

High-Precision Treatments:

Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy (3D-CRT): This advanced technique tailors radiation beams to match the tumor’s exact shape and volume, minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues (434 patients/year).

CT-Guided Intracavitary Brachytherapy (HDR): A total of 106 patients are treated annually (predominantly outpatients), with a total of 320 procedures performed per year.

All treatments are preceded by:

Virtual Radiotherapy Simulation: Performed using CT imaging for localization and the creation of customized immobilization and positioning systems (1,500 procedures/year).

Treatment Plan Development: Based on CT scans, involving the identification and contouring of target volumes and critical organs, as well as the physical-dosimetric analysis conducted via the Treatment Planning System (TPS) in collaboration with the medical physicist (540 patients/year).

Overview of Key Clinical Specialties and Pathologies, Techniques, and Procedures.

CT-Guided Intracavitary Brachytherapy (HDR): This technique is employed in gynecological malignancies as an adjuvant or curative treatment. The interventional procedure involves the insertion of an intracavitary applicator (vaginal or uterine) without sedation. For each application, a CT simulation and CT-guided physical-dosimetric study are performed to ensure precision and efficacy.