Yangon General Hospital has become the first clinical site in Myanmar to install new technology from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) for treating cancer with radiotherapy. Earlier this month, the hospital unveiled its new medical linear accelerator plus technology for high-dose-rate brachytherapy at a Grand Opening that was attended by Prof. Dr. Pe Thet Khin, Myanmar's Minister of Health.
"We chose Varian technology because it will enable us to upgrade the quality of treatment that we can offer cancer patients in Myanmar," said Professor Soe Oo-Mg, head of the Radiation Oncology Department at Yangon General.
A medical linear accelerator is the key piece of equipment used to generate and deliver the high energy X-ray beams that are used to treat tumors during radiotherapy treatments for cancer. The hospital has acquired a model that is outfitted for intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), which involves using a special beam-shaping accessory that enables clinicians to shape the treatment beam to match the shape and size of the targeted tumor, minimizing exposure of surrounding healthy tissues in order to minimize side effects of treatment.
"This machine is fully capable of delivering high-quality treatments for many types of cancer, and upgradable in the future for addressing a wider range of cases that are more difficult to treat," said Kevin Lo, director of Asia Pacific marketing for Varian.
In addition to the medical linear accelerator, the hospital has also acquired a Varian system for high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, a treatment method for delivering radiotherapy directly to a tumor site from inside the body. HDR brachytherapy involves the temporary placement of a tiny radioactive source directly into the tumor or other targeted area. The volume of tissue that is treated is limited, and the surrounding normal tissue receives little or no radiation.
The Yangon General Hospital is a 1500-bed public hospital with medical, surgical, trauma and orthopedic wards, plus 24 specialized departments for inpatient care. The hospital also runs an ER for general medicine, general surgery and traumatology. The hospital has a staff of about 300 doctors and over 400 nurses. It is also the Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital of University of Medicine 1, the country's premier medical school, as well as the Yangon Institute of Nursing and the University of Paramedical Science.
According to the World Health Organization, over 60,000 new cancer cases are estimated to occur each year in Myanmar, with breast cancer the most common among women, and lung cancer the most common among men.
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Prof. Dr. Pe Thet Khin, Myanmar's Minister of Health, addresses guests at the Opening Ceremony at Yangon General Hospital
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Prof. Dr. Pe Thet Khin, Myanmar's Minister of Health, talks with guests about the new linear accelerator from Varian Medical Systems recently installed at the Yangon General Hospital
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