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Sri Lanka’s only state-of-the-art private radiation treatment facility for cancer patients, the Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Unit completed two years of operations in September 2009.
Here, the unit’s Medical Director and Consultant Oncologist Dr. Sarath Abeykoon speaks on the unit’s progress.
Overall, what progress has the Radiation Treatment Unit made over the two years it has been in existence?
The Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Unit commenced operations in September 2007, offering cancer patients in Sri Lanka a facility for state-of-the-art treatment for various forms of cancer.
The unit had, by end of August 2009 treated more than 650 patients, giving them an opportunity to receive treatment in their own country while staying close to their loved ones. Receiving treatment in the company of family has a positive effect on a patient’s ability to cope with the disease and the treatments.
Early last year, we carried out the first ever Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) in Sri Lanka using the country’s first Linear Accelerator which is the international Gold Standard in the delivery of radiation treatment for many forms of cancer. It is now available as a routine feature at the unit.
Our objective is to provide our patients the best available treatment for cancer in Sri Lanka, in a comfortable, non hospital atmosphere, and we have achieved this very effectively in our first two years of operations.
What are the important milestones achieved by the unit over the last two years?
By the end of May this year, the unit had dispensed over 1,500 radiation treatments to cancer patients in Sri Lanka. This is a significant milestone. This number had grown to 2131 by the end of August this year.
The availability of modern radiation treatment facilities in the country has resulted in an estimated Rs 300 million in foreign exchange being saved on medical treatment by August this year. This is excluding the cost of air travel and accommodation that would have been incurred if these treatments were done overseas.
What are the commonest types of cancer that the Radiation Treatment Unit has treated so far?
The most number of patients that we have provided treatments for are female breast cancer patients. They represent 15 per cent of the total number of patients who visit our centre for cancer treatment.
Patients who receive treatment for brain cancer, prostate cancer, Bone and Articular Cartilage cancer represent 13 per cent, eight percent and seven percent respectively.
Patients with other forms of cancer represent only five per cent or less in categories such as lung, skin and kidney cancers.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among females but it is a type of cancer that has many treatment options. If detected early, many women can survive the disease. Regular physical examination and annual mammograms after the age of 40 can detect up to 90 per cent of cases.
Please elaborate on the types of treatment available at the unit
The Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Unit offers external beam treatments, Brachytherapy, Radioactive Iodine therapy and Chemotherapy.
Up to August this year, we have conducted 650 external beam treatments using the Linear Accelerator, 216 radioactive iodine therapy treatments which are used to treat thyroid cancer and thyroid hyper activity, and dispensed 1036 Chemotherapy treatments.
From January 2008 up to August this year, the Radiation Treatment Unit has also conducted 159 Brachytherapy treatments. Brachytherapy, a treatment that involves internal radiation, is a technique that allows the radiation source to be placed within or in contact with the cancerous tissue. With this technique, high doses of radiation can be delivered to confined areas thereby sparing the surrounding normal tissue from radiation.
Have steps been taken by the unit to ease the cost burden on cancer patients?
Apart from the substantial savings that come from receiving the latest radiation treatment in their own country, we recently launched an easy payment scheme for patients. We tied up with HSBC, Standard Charted Bank, Sampath Bank, Nations Trust Bank, Seylan Bank and Hatton National Bank to offer an easy payment scheme to patients who have credit cards issued by these banks.
Besides the cost benefits, the centre is thoughtfully designed and built to provide treatment in a very comfortable and non-hospital atmosphere. We have treated many people from the outstations who wanted an un-crowded, comfortable and hassle-free environment to receive treatment.
What is the importance of screening for cancer?
It is important for even people with no symptoms to obtain cancer screening because it is easier and more effective to treat cancer when detected early. Usually by the time a patient develops symptoms, the cancer has already spread and that makes it difficult to cure or contain the cancer.
