Department of Radiotherapy - Radiosurgery: 10 years of establishment and development

The early days were difficult

Sharing with us, Dr. Bui Quang Bieu, Head of the Department of Radiotherapy and Radiosurgery, Cancer Institute, 108 Central Military Hospital said: The initial staff of the department consisted of 12 staff members, after 10 years the whole department had 30 staff members including 8 doctors, 6 physicists - biomedical engineers, 16 nurses - technicians. At 108 Central Military Hospital, from the bunker sheltering from enemy bombs and bullets, the place for surgery for wounded soldiers during wartime became a place to nurture hope for cancer patients in peacetime. That is the birthplace of the radiotherapy unit, the predecessor of today's Department of Radiotherapy and Radiosurgery.

Through the fiery wars of the nation, the country had many shelters, mainly to avoid enemy bombs and bullets. In the early days of the Department of Radiotherapy - Radiosurgery, the unit was honored to work in a very special bunker, which during the war was used as an operating room with full equipment to treat wounded soldiers and patients, continuing the mission in peace and continuing to be used to treat cancer patients.

In 2013, the hospital renovated the basement to become the place to install the first radiotherapy accelerator of the 108 Military Central Hospital. The radiotherapy unit was established in May 2013 and is located in a basement several meters deep underground with a tunnel system of about 300 square meters arranged into working rooms.

Responding to the needs of society and the mission of the Department of Radiation Therapy - Radiosurgery

According to Dr. Bui Quang Bieu, Head of the Department of Radiotherapy - Radiosurgery, Cancer Institute, 108 Central Military Hospital: In recent years, along with the country's economic and social development, household income as well as people's awareness of health care and protection have been increasingly improved, so the demand for medical services has also increased. The health sector has developed strongly and achieved many great achievements, many medical facilities have been expanded, modernized, and the quality of medical examination and treatment has been improved.

However, along with those positive factors, the health - disease model of our country at this stage has been and is having complex changes, cancer diseases are increasing. The Department of Radiation Therapy - Radiosurgery, 108 Military Central Hospital was established with the mission of applying radiotherapy techniques in the treatment of cancer patients and related diseases. At the same time, scientific research, application of advanced and modern techniques in the country and the world in the field of cancer radiotherapy. Training and coaching a team of professional staff; being a training facility for practice and transferring techniques to a team of doctors, physicists - biomedical engineers, technicians, nurses in the field of oncology commensurate with the functions and tasks of the radiotherapy department of the military's final-level hospital. Participating in scientific cooperation in the field of cancer radiotherapy with domestic and international radiotherapy centers.

Dr. Hoang Dao Chinh, Deputy Head of the Department of Radiotherapy - Radiosurgery, 108 Central Military Hospital, shared that over the past 10 years, with the attention and direct guidance of the Party Committee and the Board of Directors of the Hospital, the central task of patient care and treatment has always been focused on by the department, maintained well, ensured high quality, actively promoted the improvement of the quality of examination, diagnosis, treatment, and comprehensive care for patients. Professional indicators always achieved a high rate, exceeding the targets assigned by the hospital.

Up to now, the department has always maintained the work of patient admission and treatment well, performing treatment according to specialized technical procedures. Patients are examined, diagnosed, and consulted to choose the most effective treatment method. In particular, the number of cancer patients receiving high-tech treatment is increasing, currently about 50% of cancer patients treated at the department are receiving advanced radiotherapy techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), volumetric modulated radiotherapy (VMAT), deep inhalation and breath-holding radiotherapy (DIBH), stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiotherapy. Furthermore, the department has always maintained good performance in treatment safety and radiation safety, preventing complications and treatment accidents due to professional errors or lack of responsibility. The department has applied new and high-tech techniques to successfully treat many military patients and senior officers with cancer, and international patients from Laos.

The Department of Radiotherapy and Radiosurgery has participated in and accepted 3 national-level projects, 1 Ministry of National Defense-level project, chaired 2 grassroots-level projects, 3 doctoral projects, and participated in 1 international multi-center project (PERTAIN). The scientific research projects of the Department all have high scientific content and practical effectiveness, helping to improve the quality of care and treatment of cancer patients.

Identifying as a specialized unit, the last line of the entire army, the department has coordinated well with functional agencies in organizing well the line activities such as: Transferring techniques; receiving line patients, supporting professional consultation with line units. The direction of the line for the military region's line hospitals and provincial hospitals is implemented flexibly and effectively by the department in many forms: online professional consultation or through online forms, via social networks (zalo, viber, ...) for patients who are difficult and complicated in diagnosis and treatment.

Along with the development of the 108 Military Central Hospital, the Department of Radiotherapy - Radiosurgery has been invested in both machinery and human resources. With 2 accelerator systems: Truebeam Stx under image guidance, capable of radiotherapy, radiosurgery with an accuracy of less than 1 mm and effectively treating brain, head - neck, lung, breast, liver, pancreas, esophagus, rectal cancers... with shortened treatment time and minimizing side effects caused by radiotherapy, radiosurgery such as hepatitis, pneumonia. This is the most advanced radiotherapy system in the world today. Second, the VitalBeam radiotherapy system is similar to Truebeam STx but is not equipped with radiosurgery function.

With the above marks, in the hospital's emulation movement to win, for many consecutive years the department has achieved the title of advanced unit, winning unit. In addition, the department has also received many certificates of merit, certificates of merit, and awards from the Head of the Ministry of National Defense, Central Military Hospital 108... We believe that, after 10 years of establishment, the Department of Radiotherapy - Radiosurgery has innovated and developed strongly to new heights, successfully completing the assigned tasks.

Photo story: DINH VAN - THUY NGOC

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