HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd. (HCG), South Asia’s largest cancer network, hosted a National Symposium on Utility of Flattening Free ( FFF) Beam Linear Accelerator in association with AROI and AMPI Karnataka Chapter on June 4, 2011, Bangalore.

Dr B S Ajai Kumar, chairman, HCG, Dr Ramesh S Bilimaga, medical director, HCG, Dr Luca Cozzi, head of Medical Physics of the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland and Dr Challapalli Srinivas, president of AMPI Karnataka Chapter and Dr G K Rath, director of Cancer Center AIIMS chaired the conference.

Dr B S Ajai Kumar, chairman, HCG, said that the symposium on unflatened beam is to primarily bring further new technology with more focus radiation therapy with little side effects. Over 100 scientists including oncologist and physicists gathered to discuss and debate the usefulness and usage of this technology. The outcome was positive and HCG will be the first in this country to bring this technology.

Dr Ramesh Bilimaga said that FFF technique is an improved technology in radiation delivery and which has very high dose rate, hence reduces patient treatment time.

“This new technology Flattening Filter Free (FFF) Beam Linear Accelerator will offer us some new potential of curing the most complicated cancers and at the same time minimize toxicity. Early clinical data from Europe speaks in this direction”, stated Dr Luca Cozzi, Head of Medical Physics Radiation Oncology at the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland

Dr Challapalli Srinivas, president of Karnataka Chapter AMPI, said, “Emerging technology in radiation oncology will certainly improve the quality of the treatment. In this direction this symposium has enlightened various clinical and dosimetric measurements to bring the quality of treatment in Radiotherapy.”

Dr G K Rath, director of Cancer Center at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS discussed 2 issues. One was on the new technology of FFF which is freedom from flatness. This technology is advantageous over FF (with Flattening Filter) because of higher dose rate and provision of less scatter by the filter beams.  He also highlighted that the  issue of granting the regulatory approvals could be simplified by giving the quality assurance parameters by the professional association to the subcommittee chaired by Dr G K Rath.

Health Care Global Enterprises Ltd, (HCG) with 22 centres has defined the future of cancer care in India by adopting global innovations that could be accessed by patients of all segments.