What are the global trends in radiation therapy?
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Rajeev Sharma
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Radiation therapy has played an increasingly dominant role in multidisciplinary management of cancer, about half of all the cancer patients receive radiation therapy, either as part of initial treatment or as palliative treatment. Radiation therapy technology has taken giant leaps, bringing comfort for patients. The radiation therapy devices market is growing as the global number of cancer patients increases, states a new report by pharma industry analysts Global Data.
- Evolution and improvement in radiotherapy techniques Researches and developments in radiotherapy have led to precision of treatments, improved outcomes and reduced treatment-related side effects. Specific developments have been in the areas of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), 4D imaging, particle therapy and nanotechnology.
- Personalised approach radiation therapy Radiotherapy is getting more bespoke and tailor-made to fit each patient’s requirement like its particular clinical circumstances and anatomy. Introduction of tumour marker testing and molecular and biological imaging techniques are expected to help already personalised radiotherapy treatments to be even more focused.
What are your offerings for India in this arena?
- Particle beam therapy The innovative particle beam therapy system for cancer treatment is the most advanced technology. The new system will feature a compact, single-room design that meets the growing global demand for more cost-effective therapy solutions.
- Superconducting magnet for MRI By employing a remarkable magnetic field adjustment technology, Mitsubishi Electric has achieved the world’s highest level of magnetic field homogeneity in a 1.5 Tesla superconducting magnet for MRI. The company has also achieved the world’s first superconducting magnet with zero boil-off of liquid helium.
- Black Diamond Colour Video Printer Equipped with a 423 dpi thermal head, the CP31W printer provides optimum print quality with vivid, smear-free gradation. It is also exceptionally fast – 16 seconds for S -size and 25 seconds for L-size output. The CP31W is equipped with a selection of gamma curves to handle ultrasonic diagnosis systems, endoscopes and other sophisticated medical instruments, simplifying user gamma curve fine-tuning and colour adjustment. The printer features a ‘hassle free’ all-front access design including automatic loading for ribbon cartridge replacement, an internal wide-mouth paper catcher, and built-in lighting to track print status. Whatever your medical requirement, Mitsubishi’s CP31W delivers both quality and convenience.
- A6 size high speed monochrome thermal printer The P93E is an A6 monochrome thermal printer, which accepts standard composite video and comes equipped with a host of features making it the ideal choice for an array of medical applications. The printer incorporates a high-density 325dpi thermal head and has a page resolution of 1280 x 500 pixels, ensuring that even intricate detail can be accurately reproduced.
What are the areas of application for particle beam therapy system?
Mitsubishi Electric offers two types of particle beam therapy system: the Proton Type, which produces a proton beam by accelerating the positively charged particle (ion). It results from stripping a single electron from a hydrogen atom and can be used for proton beam treatment. The other one is the Carbon and Proton Type, which accelerates the nucleus of elements with an atom heavier than a proton, such as carbon and helium, and can be used for heavy ion beam or proton beam treatment.
Using beams of accelerated protons or heavier ions like carbon, cancer cells and tumours could be killed without causing extensive damage to the surrounding healthy tissues. The process also eliminates the major drawback of conventional radiation therapy using X-rays.
How will this technology assist in delivering better healthcare outcomes?
PBT systems are customised to the end users’ needs every time they are sold, with a list of features that can be added to them. This fluidity in setting up the systems works in client’s favour, as they don’t end up with features that they don’t need, and also, they can control the costs.
What are your other technologies for enhanced radiation therapy?
Pencil beam therapy is the latest technology developed by Mitsubishi Electric. It’s an advanced version of particle beam therapy which uses a carbon ion beam with drastically reduced spot size to more accurately and efficiently irradiate complicated tumour volumes. The system enables the delivery of individual layers of pencil beam spots to precise locations, eliminating the need for beam collimation and compensators to adjust the target area.
What are your plans for the Indian market?
As Mitsubishi Electric starts its innings in the Indian healthcare space, it is bringing in products that will revolutionise the industry. There is no immediate plan of setting up R&D in India as excessive researches and innovations are being done in Japan, but Mitsubishi Electric is testing the market for its advanced products.