Eminent radiation oncology expert Dr Cheng Saw in Sri Lanka 8-12 May
To train Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Centre staff and deliver lecture to Consultant Oncologists
An eminent international expert in radiological physics in the treatment of cancer will be in Sri Lanka from 8th to 12th May to conduct training on Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for local Consultant Oncologists and healthcare professionals at the invitation of Ceylinco Healthcare Services Limited (CHSL).
The visit of Dr Cheng Saw, Director of Medical Physics and Radiation Safety Officer at the Northeast Radiation Oncology Centers (NROC), Dunmore, PA, USA, is linked to CHSL’s recent acquisition of the latest Clinac® iX linear accelerator for its Radiation Treatment Centre in Colombo.
Dr Saw, who has to date made more than 100 educational presentations on complex imaging and radiotherapy technology in India, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, is scheduled to deliver a lecture on ‘Future of SBRT & Tomotherapy’ to Sri Lanka’s Consultant Oncologists and healthcare professionals at the Hilton Colombo on Friday 11th May, CHSL announced.
In the days preceding the lecture, the Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Centre will perform three SBRT procedures for the treatment of brain, lung and liver cancer under Dr Saw’s guidance, enabling the Centre’s staff to receive invaluable training in the latest methods and practices in SBRT.
Commenting on Dr Saw’s visit to Sri Lanka, CHSL Chairman Mr R. Renganathan said: “As the pioneer and private sector leader in state-of-the art radiation oncology, CHSL is committed to bringing not only the latest technology but also the latest knowledge on this complex field to Sri Lanka. We are confident that our medical professionals will greatly appreciate the opportunity to interact with Dr Saw.”
Dr Saw holds a PhD degree in Experimental Low Nuclear Physics from the Florida State University, Tallahassee, and is certified by the American Board of Radiology in Therapeutic Radiological Physics and by the American Board of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology.
The author of the textbook ‘Foundation of Radiological Physics,’ Dr Saw has authored and co-authored over 80 articles, 20 book chapters, five news articles, and over 120 abstracts; has served as the Scientific Peer Review Panel member in various sections of radiation oncology of the Department of Defense, USA, and engaged in five Expert Missions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Ceylinco Healthcare’s new linear accelerator for the treatment of cancer delivers significant improvements in precision and reduced treatment times, enabling the Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Centre to efficiently deliver wide-ranging radiation therapy treatments including 3D Conformal Radiotherapy, Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) and MV based Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT). It also provides the Centre the future capability of Robotic Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT), RapidArc® Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), and stereotactic radiosurgery.
CHSL’s first Linear Accelerator commissioned in 2007 has treated more than 3,750 patients to date. CHSL also pioneered Tomotherapy in Sri Lanka and owns and operates the Ceylinco Diabetes Centre, offering comprehensive screening, diagnostic services and medical care.
Read moreProf. Rohan Jayasekara appointed Medical Director of Ceylinco Healthcare Services
Ceylinco Healthcare Services Ltd. (CHSL) has announced the appointment of Vidya Jyothi Emeritus Prof. Rohan Jayasekara, immediate past Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Colombo, as its Medical Director.
A pioneer in the specialty of human genetics in Sri Lanka, Prof. Jayasekara, M.B.B.S., Ph.D. (N’Cle.U.K) C.Biol. FRSB (Lond.) Hon. FCSSL, Hon. FCOSL, has had an illustrious administrative, teaching and research career spanning 41 years.
Announcing his appointment, CHSL Chairman Mr R. Renganathan said: “Prof. Jayasekara’s knowledge of medicine and his depth of administrative experience will be invaluable to the development of the three centres of excellence owned by Ceylinco Healthcare Services. His expertise in genetics would also be useful to our efforts to identify and help families predisposed to cancer and diabetes to prevent or delay the onset of these diseases through regular screening and healthy lifestyles.”
An Honorary Fellow of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka and an Honorary Fellow of the College of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka, Prof. Jayasekara was the Chair and Senior Professor of Anatomy and the Founder Director of the Colombo University’s Human Genetics Unit which he established in 1983.
He is a Fellow of the Galton Institute, London; a Chartered Biologist; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, London; a Commonwealth Scholar and a Commonwealth Senior Medical Fellow. In addition, he holds a PhD in Cytogenetics, which he obtained in 1981 while on a Commonwealth Research Scholarship.
Prof. Jayasekara acquired his postdoctoral experience as a Commonwealth Senior Medical Fellow at Guys Hospital London and the Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge. He was the recipient of numerous World Health Organisation (WHO) Fellowships and Visiting Scientist grants, with which he received further research experience in Genetics at the Centre for Birth Defects in Alabama, the National University of Singapore, Mahidol University in Bangkok, Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney and at the University of Hong Kong. As a researcher, he has published extensively and is the recipient of the President’s Award for Scientific Publications for the past six years.
His new appointment covers the two Radiation Treatment Centres and the Diabetes Centre operated by Ceylinco Healthcare Services Ltd.
CHSL’s first Radiation Treatment Unit introduced the Linear Accelerator to Sri Lanka in September 2007 and has treated more than 3,600 patients to date. The Linear Accelerator, and the TomoTherapy unit which followed, represent the most advanced treatment techniques available in Sri Lanka in the sphere of radiation oncology. The only one of its kind in Sri Lanka, the Ceylinco TomoTherapy Centre offers a new dimension in high precision image-guided radiation therapy for the treatment of many forms of cancer, and has to date treated 440 patients.
Besides the two radiation treatment units, Ceylinco Healthcare Services owns and operates the Ceylinco Diabetes Centre, offering comprehensive screening, diagnostic services and medical care.
Read moreCeylinco Healthcare offers up to 20% off on breast Cancer Screening this October
The Ceylinco Healthcare Centre will join institutions around the world this October to promote early detection as a means of minimising the adverse impacts of breast cancer on individuals and communities, to mark the month dedicated universally to breast cancer awareness.
The Centre, a wholly-owned subsidiary of life insurance market leader Ceylinco Life, has announced discounts of 15 per cent and 20 per cent respectively for individuals and groups of five or more who obtain one of two precautionary screening packages throughout October.
The first package for women over 40 years of age comprises consultation, a mammogram and a breast scan, and will be offered at Rs 6,375/- instead of the standard price of Rs 7,500/- the Centre said. A group of five or more who book the package together will pay just Rs 6,000/- per person.
The second package, reduced to Rs 2,750 from Rs 3,250/- is for women below the age of 40 and comprises of a consultation and a breast scan. The group price of this package during October will be Rs 2,600/- per person.
The Centre said it will also offer discounts on additional tests such as Pap smears and CA 125 to those who obtain these discounted screening packages this October, and make other special offers available to visitors to the Centre’s Facebook page.
“Although it has been established that detection and treatment in the early stages can result in breast cancer being overcome, many women are reluctant to make periodic screening part of their healthcare regime,” said Dr. Charuky Weerasuriya, Senior Medical Officer “Our efforts every October are to leverage the awareness created globally during the month to encourage more women to undergo screening. After all, if one has a potentially life-saving opportunity at the cost of a meal at a quality restaurant, why not take it?”
The Ceylinco Healthcare Centre is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for the detection and treatment of cancer. Visitors undergo screening or treatment in a comfortable non-hospital atmosphere.
The Centre also offers moral support to cancer patients through a cancer support group, a team of professionally trained caregivers who assist cancer patients on a one-to-one basis.
The team at the Centre’s Breast Care Unit comprises of doctors, radiologists, a pathologist, breast surgeons, oncologists, nurses, radiographers and customer service staff. Located at Park Street, Colombo 02, the Centre offers services ranging from history-based risk assessment to clinical examination, mammography, ultrasound investigation as well as multi-modal treatment options.
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Ceylinco Healthcare acquires advanced Clinac® linear accelerator from Varian
Offers multiple improvements in quality of radiation therapy
Ceylinco Healthcare Services Limited (CHSL) has announced the acquisition of a new Linear Accelerator for its Radiation Treatment Centre in Colombo, the pioneer private sector facility of its kind in Sri Lanka.
The company has signed a Purchase Agreement with Varian Medical Systems, a global leader in Radiation Oncology, for the acquisition of the latest Clinac® iX linear accelerator to replace its existing unit, which when commissioned in 2007, was the first linear accelerator in the country.
The new linear accelerator delivers significant improvements in precision and reduced treatment times, enabling the Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Centre to efficiently deliver wide-ranging radiation therapy treatments including 3D Conformal Radiotherapy, Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) and MV based Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT), and with the future capability of Robotic Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT), RapidArc® Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), and stereotactic radiosurgery.
The Clinac iX linear accelerator offers the choice of multiple photon beams and a range of electron beams, and also the future capability of High Intensity Mode facilitating patients to be treated faster with its ability to deliver high dose rates (up to 2,400 MU/min at 10MV High-Intensity mode), maintains better control over patient position with exact and real-time motion tracking capabilities, and keeps the treatment process connected through integration with treatment planning and management software.
Important aspects for patients are the shorter beam times they will be subjected to, better targeting of tumors and by extension, the sparing of healthy tissue, and in some cases, the possibility of a reduced number of treatments.
Commenting on this latest acquisition, CHSL Chairman Mr R. Renganathan said: “Improving patient outcomes in step with advances in technology is a primary responsibility of a healthcare provider. At CHSL, we closely monitor developments in product and process improvements in order to be able to offer our patients the benefit of the latest equipment and techniques, as part of our commitment to help them receive treatment in their own country.”
“Varian Medical Systems has been a pioneer in the field of oncology for more than 60 years, and we are assured that with the arrival of this new and updated linear accelerator, CHSL will be able to further improve the quality of treatment offered at our radiation treatment centre,” he added.
“With this linear accelerator, Ceylinco has the opportunity to provide the people of Sri Lanka with an advanced treatment facility to and redefine the way cancer care is provided in the country,” said Mr. Ashok Kakkar, Sr. Managing Director of Varian in the India Subcontinent.
The Clinac iX linear accelerator features RapidArc® radiotherapy technology that offers the flexibility to shape the beam while controlling the dose rate and the gantry speed for a highly conformed dose; this means that the beam more accurately targets the shape and size of the tumor, while reducing damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
High Intensity Mode delivers X-ray beams without the use of a flattening filter, resulting in high dose rates that are practical for radiosurgery, respiratory-gated or breath-hold treatments.
With more than 7,400 linear accelerators installed around the world, of which nearly 200 are operating in India, Varian Medical Systems has extensive global and regional experience in radiation oncology. The Varian Clinac linear accelerator houses a range of capabilities that not only streamline the treatment process, but also expand possibilities for clinics.
In Sri Lanka, Varian Medical Systems is represented by Technomedics International (Pvt.) Ltd, a specialist in turnkey hospital projects, medical equipment, and surgical consumables. One of the largest medical companies in the country, Technomedics is a multi-billion rupee enterprise with expert service centers covering the regions of Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Batticaloa, and Jaffna.
CHSL’s first Linear Accelerator has treated more than 3,750 patients to date. Besides two radiation treatment units, Ceylinco Healthcare Services owns and operates the Ceylinco Diabetes Centre, offering comprehensive screening, diagnostic services and medical care.
Read moreCeylinco Healthcare surpasses 200 TomoTherapy patient treatments
Ceylinco Healthcare Services Ltd. (CHSL), the pioneer of cutting-edge radiation therapy in Sri Lanka, has completed 200 patient treatments at its TomoTherapy Centre in Colombo, which marked its second anniversary in October this year.
The Centre broke new ground in Sri Lanka when it performed the first Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) treatment in the country in its first year of operation, and has now carried out five such treatments, demonstrating its capability to offer highly advanced radiation solutions.
The only one of its kind in Sri Lanka, the Ceylinco TomoTherapy Centre offers a new dimension in high precision image-guided radiation therapy for the treatment of many forms of cancer.
“Radiation treatment courses vary in duration from patient to patient. The successful completion of the treatment of 200 patients in two years is a notable achievement, because these patients would otherwise have travelled overseas for their TomoTherapy,” said CHSL Chairman Mr R. Renganathan. “Our investments to provide Sri Lankans with world class cancer treatment facilities in their own country have been fully justified.”
The Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Unit, also owned by CHSL, introduced the Linear Accelerator to Sri Lanka in September 2007 and had treated more than 2,950 patients with it by end October 2015. The Linear Accelerator, and TomoTherapy unit which followed, represent the most advanced treatment techniques available in Sri Lanka in the sphere of radiation oncology.
TomoTherapy is an integrated, advanced form of 3-dimentional image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Because a patient’s anatomy can change from day-to-day, image guided radiation therapy helps doctors make immediate adjustments to allow for tumour movement or shrinkage, weight loss and other changes.
The TomoTherapy system allows clinicians to see what they plan to treat immediately prior to beginning each treatment fraction and ensures that the tumour will not be under-dosed, and that radiation exposure to surrounding tissue will be minimised.
The Ceylinco TomoTherapy Centre is equipped with the latest TomoHDTM treatment system from Accuracy Inc. (USA), the global pioneer in the field of TomoTherapy.
Both CHSL’s radiation treatment facilities are located in close proximity, at Park Street, Colombo 2; the TomoTherapy Centre at No 70, and the Linear Accelerator unit at No 60.
Besides the two radiation treatment units, Ceylinco Healthcare Services owns and operates the Ceylinco Healthcare Centre and the Ceylinco Diabetes Centre, also at Park Street, Colombo 2, offering comprehensive screening, diagnostic services and medical care.
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