GRH Doc Finds Tissue Equivalent For Radiation Therapy

PSM News /

Madurai, 15 Sept 2018: A doctor at the Government Rajaji Hospital here has found a tissue-equivalent material made of polymer gel and paraffin oil, which when placed on a patient’s skin, ensures maximum radiation to the tumour. This has been tested on the tele cobalt machine and linear accelerator and will be used on patients at the GRH soon.

 

Hospital dean Dr D Marudhu Pandian told reporters here on Friday that assistant professor of radiology physics, Dr S Senthikumar, had won the best paper prize for his innovative work of ``Tissue Equivalent Bolus’’ at the Raj AROICON-2018 annual conference of Association of Radiation Oncologists of India held in Rajasthan recently. Dr Senthikumar said that in radiation therapy one had to treat superficial lesions on cancer patients which were on or adjacent to the skin. Usually, the radiation based on the energy substance penetrated to a depth of 0.5 cm to 1.5 cm. Hence, maximum effectiveness could not be obtained in superficial radiation when given directly on the skin.

 

The human tissue equivalent bolus, made by mixing materials of different atomic number with polymer gel and paraffin oil, will help cover the missing tissue in the case of cancer of the neck, breast and chest wall.

 

Thus it will facilitate the delivery of the equivalent of the prescribed dose to the tumour for maximum effectiveness. Irradiation of electron beam to an irregular surface leads to a complex dose distribution in the tissue, with hot and cold spots. This can be addressed by using tissue equivalent material on the surface.

 

Study has been carried out to prove the efficiency of the new “human tissue-equivalent bolus” in various radiotherapy machines.

 

The bolus increased the target radiation dose during telecobalt, linac X-ray photon and electron treatment by providing scattering of the beam and build-up of radiation on the skin surface. The material is non-toxic and can be recycled. It will soon be used on patients at the Government Rajaji Hospital.ET Healthworld