Radiation therapy (radiotherapy) for cancer in Belarus
Radiation therapy is the action of a directed beam of elementary nuclear particles or special types of electromagnetic radiation on cancer cells in order to inhibit the process of their division or their complete destruction.
Treatment with a stream of charged particles provokes the destruction of not only tumor cells, but also healthy tissues surrounding it. However, modern equipment allows a more selective effect on the tumor, minimizing collateral damage.
Radiation cancer therapy in Belarus includes all the basic protocols used in world medical practice, applied before surgery and during postoperative rehabilitation.
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The benefits of radiation therapy for cancer in Belarus
Radiation cancer therapy in Belarus has a number of significant advantages, among them:
- High patient survival - due to the use of the latest radiological treatment methods and the use of the latest equipment, it was possible to reduce mortality among cancer patients by almost eight percent;
- The latest equipment - oncologists of the republic were the first from the CIS to be able to carry out radiation treatment using a unique linear accelerator, which, adapting to the patient’s respiratory rate, can reduce the harmful effects of radioactive particles;
- Active research activities - annually, the republic is visited by dozens of scientists from many countries near and far abroad to learn how to use the accelerator and exchange their experience;
- Active development of nuclear medicine - in the capital of the republic there is the largest nuclear medicine department in Europe, which conducts active research activities aimed at the development and study of new types of radiological treatment;
- A unique method of evaluating effectiveness is measuring the effectiveness of radiotherapy in Belarus using gamma cameras that detect hidden metastases;
- Highly qualified medical staff - Belarusian oncology centers employ doctors with unique skills, as well as polite and trained junior medical staff.
What methods of radiotherapy are used in clinics of Belarus?
Radiation cancer therapy in clinics of Belarus is performed using a large number of techniques (often unique) and treatment protocols. For example, some of the most effective cancer radiotherapy techniques in Belarus are:
- Conformal radiation therapy (three-dimensional using the volumetric planning method) is a method involving local irradiation of the site of cancer with an ultrahigh amount of radioactive substances;
- Conformal four-dimensional radiation therapy is a technique similar to that described above, differing only in the way the tumor is localized, able to take into account the minimum change in its location during breathing;
- IMRT - the use involves the targeted exposure to the maximum permissible dose of radioactive substances, with the greatest reduction in the negative impact on the critical organs of the patient;
- IMAT (arc therapy, with intensity modulation) - the application allows you to exert an effect with a precisely calibrated beam of radioactive particles on the tumor, without exerting a negative effect on healthy cells;
- Radiosurgery (stereotactic) - involves irradiating a tumor with cross beams of radioactive substances. Using the method allows to achieve the complete destruction of the focus of oncology;
- Contact-type radiation therapy is one of the most effective methods, involving the placement of a radioactive substance in a tumor site or in an organ affected by it.
The cost of radiation oncology therapy in Belarus
There is no single cost for cancer radiotherapy in Belarus, because the price of the program is calculated individually based on the patient’s condition and the chosen treatment methodology.
The average cost of various types of radiological treatment:
- Computed tomography of one field - 380 dollars;
- Evaluation of the contours and volumes of the target - $ 530;
- Planning for radiosurgical or surgical treatment with radiation devices - $ 1900.
Violetta YanyshevskaAuthor and medical editor
