Ceylinco Healthcare and Apollo introduce Proton therapy and Digital PET scans to Sri Lanka

From left: Ceylinco Healthcare Services Chairman R. Renganathan, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre Chief Operating Officer John Chandy and Senior Consultant Radiation Oncologist Dr. Sapna Nangia speaking at the event

Ceylinco Healthcare Services Ltd. (CHSL) together with Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, recently conducted an event at which Sri Lankan oncologists and cancer specialists were introduced to the benefits of Proton Therapy Treatment and the advantages of Digital Positron Emission Tomography (Digital PET) scans. 

This event follows CHSL’s appointment as a Medical Affiliate of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. (AHEL) of India, which operates the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC) in Chennai. The appointment made Proton Therapy as well as Digital PET scans more accessible and affordable to cancer patients in Sri Lanka.

Since October last year, specialists at CHSL have been able to refer patients requiring this treatment or Digital PET scans to the Cancer Centre in Chennai which is the first medical facility in South Asia to have these cutting-edge options for treatment and diagnosis.  

The event at the Hilton, Colombo, was conducted by Dr. Sapna Nangia, Senior Consultant Radiation Oncologist at the APCC, and John Chandy, Chief Operating Officer of APCC. While the former expounded on the functions and benefits of Proton Therapy, the latter spoke about the advantages of the Digital PET-CT scan compared to other CT scans available in Sri Lanka. 

About 30 Sri Lankan specialists in the field attended the event, which was followed by cocktails and dinner. 

Proton Therapy is considered the most advanced form of radiation treatment available in the world, thanks to its superior dose distribution and minimal side effects. It is increasingly being used to treat cancers, particularly those where treatment options are limited, or conventional radiation therapy presents risks to patients, as well as for many childhood cancers as it lessens the chance of harming healthy tissues. 

Digital PET-CT scans at the APCC in Chennai are available to Sri Lankan patients at a lower cost than the standard analog PET scans available in Sri Lanka, even with air travel costs included. PET-CT is recommended to ascertain information regarding the stage of a cancer, so that appropriate management such as surgery or chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be advised. Owing to the digital aspect of these scans, patients are guaranteed higher sensitivity, better image quality and therefore increased accuracy in diagnosis. 

The owner of the most experienced and affordable private cancer treatment centres in the country, Ceylinco Healthcare Services has successfully administered radiation therapy to over 7,000 patients in Sri Lanka over the past decade. The treatment facilities offered by the Company are estimated to generate a saving of $ 500,000 in foreign exchange per year. The Company operates two radiation treatment units – the Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Centre and the Ceylinco TomoTherapy Centre, which is the only TomoTherapy unit in the country.