Cancer is the biggest cause of mortality globally after cardiovascular disease. For so many years and especially of late when numbers are rising, the disease has wreaked havoc on individuals, families, communities and the medical fraternity.
Cancer refers to any one of a large number of diseases characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. Source.
What adds onto the agony that cancer visits on patients is the invasive nature of treatments, which destroy healthy cells alongside diseased ones. This puts people through what feels like a whole new illness and sometimes damages organs enough to a point of causing death. Unfortunately these are the options that have been available in the past and even in the present in many countries.
To add onto that, cancer care has always been out of reach for the majority of patients, both in terms of access to the right equipment and also limited budgets. This is where we say that ‘Cancer does not discriminate but treatment does’. Among the many sad scenarios that characterize the disease is medical destinations where families are forced to take their loved ones to different counties, the most common being India.
Cancer is dire but all is not lost. As the disease marches on, so does research and development of advanced care against it. It is safe to say that the world is making significant progress against the it every year by introducing new technologies towards care and treatment.
Earlier today for instance, I was privileged to bear witness to the launching of the Elekta Versa HD – the first and most advanced cancer treatment platform in Sub-Saharan Africa. With the many advanced features and technologies that the highly specialized machine has, patients now have options here in Kenya and the need to go seeking treatment outside the country will be reduced significantly.
The high precision radiotherapy machine promises to target cancer cells while reducing damage to healthy ones. This, coupled with reduction of treatment time to as little as one week is one major win against the monster that is cancer.
“Versa HD provides clinicians with the dual flexibility to deliver conventional therapies to treat a wide range of tumours, as well as high-precision targeted therapies for treating highly complex cancers. As an integrated treatment system, it helps address the evolving challenges of modern-day cancer management while providing patients with best-in-class treatment and high-quality clinical care. The technology helps minimise the radiation dose to healthy tissue and improve quality of life. Cancer patients in Nairobi can now utilize the service for better treatment outcomes.” HCG CCK Cancer Center.
HCG CCK Cancer Center which is the first private comprehensive cancer centre in the East African region is along Shivachi Road right after the entrance to M. P. Shah Children’s hospital. This cancer centre offers comprehensive facilities like Radiation Therapy, Surgical Oncology, Medical Oncology, Psycho-Oncology, Palliative Care and Patient Support, all under a single roof. HCG CCK Cancer Centre is well-equipped with state-of-the-art technology, and its multi-disciplinary team of oncologists provide the highest quality of cancer care in the East African region.
The introduction of the Elekta Versa HD radiotherapy machine is a great milestone towards cancer management within and without Kenya and we laud the cancer center for bringing it in.
