It enables a key public health technology to fight cancer more effectively in adults

“Right now, we are being examined by the National Atomic Energy Commission, regarding the linear particle accelerator issue. It is a historic milestone.” The aim of the interview with Gustavo Jankelevich, Director of the Maria Curie Oncology Hospital, was to talk about a new treatment against skin cancer developed by Argentine scientists and produced by a local laboratory that could begin to be used soon, but the conversation went off track and led to another novelty: Advanced radiotherapy device Which will be launched for the first time in a hospital in Buenos Aires.

“This has been talked about for 20 or 30 years, and today we have this here,” Yankelevich said excitedly. He referred to the linear accelerator that will emit radiation to cancer patients, which is A The instrument is also often called a “linac”.to be translated from the English linear accelerator. “It’s already here, installed and everything, and we have staff trained to use it,” the doctor explained.

This accelerator (which was being installed at the time of writing) is one of the few accelerators in the country. Compared to other radiotherapy strategies (such as the cobalt bomb used by this hospital), it offers the unparalleled advantage of being a more effective weapon in the fight against tumors, because by definition it generates Less damage to the tissue surrounding the tumorThe doctor explained that the beam emitted is “more direct and linear,” and explained that, like other radiotherapy tools, “it is suitable for all types of tumors, as long as they are solid.”

The investment in a linear accelerator was there 4 million dollars. The sum includes three “legs”, you might say, or three components, which are requirements for a “linear” run like this. In terms of the work required to be done to determine the location of the apartment. On the other hand, the cost of the radiation treatment equipment itself. In addition, radiographic computed tomography.

“Except in the case of Garahan, which is a children’s hospital (which is also a SAMIC hospital), this is the first linear particle accelerator of its kind in the city. It is a truly giant step,” the doctor stressed.

Due to the closure of the National Cancer Institute. Clarion It was necessary to consult directly with the Ministry of Health to find out how many health institutions possess this advanced technology in the country. This is taking into account the limitations imposed on national registries, whose authorities usually cite the lack of information issued by municipalities, provinces or even the private sector.

Awaiting that response and what can be discovered, in addition to some private institutions such as the Alexander Fleming Institute or the German Hospital, there are linear particle accelerators for cancer treatment at the Dr. Eduardo Castro Rendon Regional Hospital in Neuquén and at the Regional Oncology Hospital in Cordoba.

According to health sources from the Buenos Aires government, the device that Maria Curie will inaugurate “is one of the most technologically advanced in Argentina, including those already possessed by some privately run health institutions.”

It is often heard, almost like menstrual air, that some types of tumors grow (that is, they are more common) in people under 50 years of age, a problem that many associate with a deteriorating lifestyle, in the areas of nutrition, physical activity and mental health. The experts at Maria Curie know this well, a landmark institution that will celebrate its 95th anniversary next year, which receives “Between 5,000 and 6,000 patients per month“Among those who come for a second opinion are those who need treatment, those who want to get preventive rules or advice and those who, on the other hand, need palliative care,” Jankelevich explained.

He recently took over as head of the Maria Curie Directorate, and in fact he realized that when he was offered a promotion with a corporate boost at the end of last year, the goal was specifically to get the linear particle accelerator up and running. This move involved a small geographical move: crossing Díaz Velez Avenue from the “Carlos G. Durán” General Acute Hospital, where he ran the headquarters of the oncology service, and settling in the Oncology Reference Hospital, located in Parque Centenario, the heart where the neighbors from Villa Crespo, Caballito and Almagro meet.

On the verge of achieving this goal, his enthusiasm is clear: “It is truly a milestone. Tumors can be treated with surgery, radiotherapy and medical treatment. But for radiotherapy, Here an old one is used, the cobalt bomb“, which is important to replace it with what is considered “clean” energy, produced specifically by particle accelerators, which has much less toxicity.”

The big point in LINAC’s favor is that it “maximizes radiation against the tumor, without affecting the surrounding tissue,” Yankelevich explained. It is an essential virtue, if we consider the paradox that radiotherapy, although used to shrink or eliminate solid tumors, relies on the emission of radiation that is already carcinogenic.

The clear explanation is simple and explains why it is important for the centers providing radiotherapy in the country to gradually upgrade their facilities with this type of (expensive) equipment.

In short, the difference between the shape of the energy beams from a particle accelerator and an old-fashioned radiation therapy instrument is akin to comparing the limited red line coming out of a laser to the light emitted by a lamp bulb in any room in the house.

In one case, the possibility of controlling the direction and alignment of the area to be irradiated is complete. Tumor mass It can be destroyed precisely Because the ultra-energy beams of these accelerators (which usually use gamma rays) are so deadly destructive to atoms that a solid cancerous mass can disintegrate with the wind in their sails.

In the other, the kind of “bath of light” that the lamp radiates, and if it affects the tumor cells, it will also (inevitably) affect the rest of the tissue. The force against the tumor is less, and to make matters worse, it is part of the destructive energy It will fall on thousands of healthy cells.

when Clarion When Yankelevich was asked which types of cancer he treated most often, the doctor spoke of a pathetic “top 5.” “They are the ones we see, but also the ones we see in the system in general: breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and the fifth position depends on the geographical location of the hospital being analysed,” the doctor said, explaining that “in some cases, depending on the type of population, it is lung cancer. In other cases, stomach tumors predominate.”

Anyway, what’s next now is to install the accelerator and start using it. “We hope to use it in patients by December,” he concluded.