HOW TO GET A QUOTA FOR TREATMENT AT THE "UMIT" ONCOLOGICAL CENTER OF TOMOTHERAPY

Cancer is a group of over 100 different diseases. A malignant neoplasm can occur in almost any part of the body. Cancer is a many-sided and insidious disease. But doctors are constantly improving the methods of cancer treatment. In addition to chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery, such areas as targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy are rapidly developing.

Radiation therapy is one of the most common cancer treatment methods in Kazakhstan. And nowadays Kazakhstanis living anywhere in the country have an opportunity to receive the most modern cancer treatment - tomotherapy.

One of the main tomotherapy advantages is that due to innovative technologies, a tumor of any size, any shape and any, even the most complex localization, is precisely exposed to the maximum sufficient radiation dose. The dose is evenly distributed throughout the tumor, while avoiding healthy tissues as much as possible.

The accuracy of dose delivery and its optimal value are very important for an effective therapy. In cancer treatment with classical linear accelerators, the ability to fully irradiate the tumor and at the same time bypass healthy surrounding tissues is limited. There is a risk of damage to surrounding tissues. If reduce the dose, the treatment process is delayed, its effectiveness decreases, and the likelihood of side effects increases.

The UMIT International Oncological Center of TomoTherapy was the first in Kazakhstan and Central Asia to start accepting cancer patients for radiation therapy using TomoTherapy HD machines from Accuray. Read more about the benefits of tomotherapy here: Tomotherapy - a good hope for cancer patients.

Ussabekova Saniya Khamidullovna, the Deputy Director of the first in Kazakhstan “UMIT” International Oncological Center of TomoTherapy, told about the new method of radiation therapy against oncology and about the opportunity to receive it free of charge, by a quota.

- Saniya Khamidullovna, what is the tomotherapy treatment?

- Tomotherapy is a new type of radiation therapy using photon beams. The principle is that during irradiation, photons "burn" cancer cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissues. This is the fundamental difference between tomotherapy and other types of cancer treatment. The revolutionary nature of the method lies in the fact that the machine determines the focus of a cancerous tumor and burns it pointwise. A photon beam is split into thousands of small beams, and irradiation can affect on several areas at once.

The radiation dose is determined by doctors depending on the foci of the disease. Even at the advanced stages, when it is impossible to remove the tumor, under the influence of tomotherapy, it decreases and ceases to compress the vital organs. Pain decreases and the patient gets better.

- How much does treatment at the UMIT center cost? Is it possible to get a quota for a free treatment?

- It all depends on the diagnosis. The number of treatment procedures is determined by doctors. Sometimes 5 sessions are enough for a patient, in some cases their number can reach up to 20 or 40. The center is connected to the guaranteed volume of free medical care. That means that people can get treatment at our center with the state support by a quota.

Services that we do not have can be received at the National Scientific Medical Center. For this purpose, the Tomotherapy Center has concluded an agreement with the NSMC, we are located on the same territory with the partner.

- What documents are required for free treatment under the state order? 

- In order get an opportunity for quota treatment, the following documents must be prepared: oncologist’s referral; extracts, conclusions of previous examinations, a disk with PET/CT and/or MRI scans. Documents must be archived, saved as an archive file under the patient's name and sent to the e-mail address: info@tomo.kz. The e-mail must include a contact phone number for communication.

Each case is considered by our doctors individually. The submitted application will be processed within 2 days.

- How long is a tomotherapy session?

- The treatment takes 20-30 minutes together with the patient preparation, while the irradiation process itself lasts only 5-7 minutes. The center has two machines for treatment. These are innovative TomoTherapy HD radiation therapy machines manufactured by Accuray (USA). They are recognized as the gold standard in oncology.

There are only a few centers in the world where two installations are used in parallel at once. What is it for? Once treatment has begun, it must not be interrupted. Let's say if one machine fails, there is a second one. Due to the two installations, we can treat more patients during a day.

- Are there any additional bonuses or promotions at the UMIT Tomotherapy Center?

- Since March 2021, free online and offline consultations of radiation oncologists have been continuously conducted at our Tomotherapy Center. To make an appointment with a doctor, please call + 7 7172 95 44 84 or send your documents to info@tomo.kz

- How to find the Tomotherapy Center? Does it have an official website? 

- Our website www.tomo.kz. Instagram: tomocenter.kz

- Do people from foreign countries come to your center for treatment? 

- The demand for cancer treatment is very high. We receive requests and people come from other countries. Treatment in the center is much cheaper than in Europe and the USA clinics.

We, in turn, are engaged in the development of medical tourism. We are working on logistics for foreign patients to take into account all the nuances of a comfortable stay and treatment.

The UMIT International Oncological Center of TomoTherapy has successfully passed the JCI international certification process, which confirms the center's compliance with the high standards of providing quality medical services and strict adherence to all patient safety rules.

The UMIT center employs a team of experienced specialists who have undergone serious training in well-known foreign oncological clinics. Read more about doctors, methods of research and treatment at the following links:

Breast cancer: do not be afraid of a mammologist 

The new in cancer treatment: modern chemotherapy 

All about mammography: to whom, for what, when and how 

Tomotherapy in pediatric oncology treatment

Medical physicists - the invisible front in the fight against cancer

Laser surgery: moles, papillomas, oncology

How endoscopy helps to detect early stage cancer