Department Of Radiation Oncology

The specialty of medicine that uses high-energy ionizing radiation to treat malignant neoplasms and certain nonmalignant conditions is called Radiation oncology. Radiation oncology is one of the three primary specialties, the other two being surgical and medical oncology, involved in the treatment of cancer. Radiation can be given as a curative modality, either alone or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. When combined with surgery, it can be used either after surgery (adjuvant) ,before surgery ( Neo-adjuvant ) or during surgery (Intra-operative). It may also be used as a palliative modality, to relieve symptoms in patients with incurable cancers. Radiation therapy is painless and incision- less cancer treatment and is indicated in more than 60% of different cancers. A radiation oncologist is a specialist physician who is trained and certified to treat a broad spectrum of diseases utilizing various radiation modalities, with the central guiding principle of achieving maximal therapeutic gain while minimizing radiation exposure to normal tissues. Ionizing radiation includes X-ray, gamma ray and charged particles such as proton that have high enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms to create ions. Ionizing radiation can be delivered through external beam therapy or implantation of radionuclides in a procedure called brachytherapy. Conventional external beam radiation typically involves fractionated daily treatments over 2 to 8 weeks. The newer technologies of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are commonly delivered in 1 to 5 fractions, and administer highly precise and highly potent radiation treatments. Intra-operative radiation, IMRT, IGRT and protons are additional examples of technological advances.

The department of Radiation Oncology at GMC Baramulla is in its infancy (just a few months old). In a very short span of few months and with extremely limited infrastructure, we have been able to provide OPD and Daycare services to the patients suffering from various cancers. We are expected to cater to a population of 2276166 of two and a half districts of entire north Kashmir (2011 census) and more than 20% of all cancers diagnosed in the valley( Population Based cancer registry).

Mission

1. With the support of our administration, we shall make every possible effort to establish a comprehensive department of Radiation oncology so that we will be able to provide a compassionate, expert and prompt clinical service to our patients.
2. We shall involve ourselves and other sister departments to run a sustained awareness program about the causes, prevention and treatment of cancer by various in-house and outreach activities so as to prevent the disease to occur and to diagnose it in its early stages.
3. Since cancer treatment is a multimodality approach, this department will, with the permission from the administration, involve all other relevant departments to constitute specific Tumor Boards so that the patients are offered the best possible treatment.
4. We will try to approach various agencies for approval of various research projects like HBCR etc.
5. We shall try to get our hospital connected to India’s largest cancer network-the National Cancer Grid (NCG), so that we can mutually benefit from the large cancer hospitals like TATA etc.

Vision

We envision our department to provide exceptional clinical care, to become an excellent academic unit, by starting MD and DNB programs and to establish a comprehensive Radiation Centre so that it is comparable to any developed Radiation Oncology centre, not only at the at the national level but at international level as well.

I, as the founder Head of this department, recognize my responsibility towards the public we serve, pledge to initiate the process to develop this centre as a State-of-the-Art clinical, academic and research centre. For this I will need support from the hospital administration and the government. A detailed proposal stands submitted in this regard.

Dr. Lone M. Maqbool

Professor & Head, Radiation Oncology

Co-chairman, Institute Ethical Committee,SKIMS,Srinagar

Vice-chairman, Cancer Society of Kashmir

Formerly, Head, Radiation Oncology, SKIMS Soura Srinagar.

Formerly, Sub-Dean, Medical Faculty, SKIMS

Formerly,Controller of Examinations,SKIMS Soura Srinagar.

Formerly,Nodal Officer, State Cancer Institute,Srinagar.

Formerly,Nodal Officer, Regional Cancer Centre, SKIMS,Soura Srinagar,Kashmir