WHY FOREIGNERS GO FOR TREATMENT AT THE “UMIT” ONCOLOGICAL TOMOTHERAPY CENTER?
The capital “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center becomes the center of medical tourism in Kazakhstan
Oncology is one of the most common reasons for traveling abroad for treatment. As a rule, Kazakhstan citizens and residents of neighboring countries go to Korea, Turkey, India for treatment. Of course, medical tourism in these countries is not cheap. Medical services in Israel, Germany, Spain are even more expensive.
But few people know that today there is an opportunity to receive highly specialized treatment for a wide range of oncological diseases in Kazakhstan as well. Many fellow and foreign citizens come for high-quality and high-tech treatment to Astana, to the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center.
The tomotherapy system is currently the most advanced method of radiation therapy for cancer. TomoTherapy is a new and unique technology that combines 3D tumor imaging with highly effective, on-target radiation therapy. For cancer patients, this means faster and more effective treatment with fewer side effects than with traditional radiation therapy.
Tomotherapy has the potential to treat cancer in hard-to-reach locations, such as brain cancer, or malignant tumors that grow close to the spine or other vital organs. Tomotherapy is also used for the simultaneous treatment of multiple tumors and multiple metastases.
From the moment of its opening, the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center has set the goal to ensure the availability and high quality of medical care for such a complex category of patients as cancer patients. The center is equipped with innovative TomoTherapy HD radiation therapy machines manufactured by Accuray company (USA). Tomotherapy is something that completely changes the idea of the comfort of cancer patients and their quality of life.
Read more about the benefits of tomotherapy: Tomotherapy is a good hope for cancer patients
WHY DO PATIENTS OPT FOR THE “UMIT” ONCOLOGICAL TOMOTHERAPY CENTER?
1. Modern methods for diagnosis and treatment of cancer
An oncological patient needs a complex diagnostics and a complex treatment. Cancer is the disease that affects the entire body. The “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center offers the most modern, innovative methods for diagnosis and treatment of cancer:
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Radiation therapy (tomotherapy)
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Chemotherapy
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Surgical treatment
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Check-up programs for diagnosis of oncological diseases.
2. Treatment of a wide range of cancers
“We treat almost all nosologies that exist in oncology,” says Yerzhan Mukatayevich Shayakhmetov, director of the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center. - The most common ones are esophageal cancer, rectal cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, as well as brain and spinal cord tumors, that is, almost all solid tumors."
In case of hematologic malignancies or tumor of hematologic and lymphoid tissues (in other words, blood cancer), the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center can join the treatment at the second stage and perform radiation therapy, for example, before bone marrow transplantation. Important: tomotherapy is the only method of total bone marrow irradiation for leukemia in children and adults.
3. Age range of patients accepted for tomotherapy treatment
At the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center all conditions have been created for the treatment of patients of any age. Children from 1.5 years are accepted for tomotherapy, they undergo treatment under sedation if necessary. Read more about the treatment of cancer in children here: Tomotherapy in the treatment of pediatric oncology.
4. Competence of doctors at the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center
The “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center has been working since 2019. All doctors were carefully selected, all were interviewed; education, work experience, knowledge of foreign languages were taken into account. The entire team underwent comprehensive training and has been successfully and productively treating patients with cancer for three years.
Before the center opened, radiation oncologists underwent the tomotherapy training course at Medanta Hospital in Delhi. It is a large multidisciplinary hospital in India, one of the main profiles of which is oncology.
The doctors also studied at the Gustave Roussy Institute of Oncology in France, which is one of the ten world leaders among cancer centers.
The doctors of the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center went to the tomotherapy centers in Kirovograd, Ukraine to exchange experience, and underwent an internship at the tomotherapy center in Kazan. Doctors trained pediatric oncology at the Dmitry Rogachev National Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology.
All doctors speak English, there is a radiologist with knowledge of the Chinese language.
“Regarding the staff, I would like to note another moment,” says Yerzhan Mukatayevich. - To organize a full-fledged process of treating patients on a tomotherapy machine, in addition to other specialists, there must be medical physicists in the team. There are 6 physicists in our team. The Head of the Medical Physics Department Tanzhas Serikovich Shayakhmetov completed a two-year residency in Italy under the IAEA program. He is the only one in Kazakhstan with an international certificate of medical physicist, he received it in Qatar. "
5. Coordinated cancer care
The whole team is required to treat one cancer patient. At the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center, this group includes oncologists, surgeons, chemotherapists, radiation oncologists, geneticists, immunologists, histologists, nurses, medical physicists and others who provide coordinated care and support.
“Of course, the patient has the right to choose the attending physician. All our doctors are highly qualified. In general, oncology is a team work, there is more than one doctor who treats, it is a whole department that guides the patient, discusses each patient collectively and determines the treatment plan” - says the director.
6. Second opinion on cancer treatment plan
The second opinion is very important, especially in oncology. Doctors of the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center keep close contact with the attending physicians of patients.
In the treatment of pediatric oncology, there are certain specifics, therefore, a treatment plan for each difficult children's case is sent to the Dmitry Rogachev National Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, the partner of the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center. If necessary, adjustments are made to the treatment plans for cancer children.
For foreign patients, if they wish, there is an opportunity to get the second opinion from oncologists from the Gustave Roussy Institute of Oncology, France. All treatment plans are digitized and can be immediately sent for the second opinion to any doctor the patient specifies.
7. Control of errors in diagnosis of malignant tumors
Cancer causes panic and confusion in a patient and his relatives. Often patients do not believe in their diagnosis and think that a mistake has occurred. At the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center, experienced oncologists will carefully study the medical documentation, test results provided to them to evaluate each case, will draw up a reasonable conclusion and suggest possible treatment options.
“For example, it happens that a patient does not believe the histological conclusion that it is the cancer. Our histologists will re-examine the patient's histological materials and give their conclusion. We can also offer to perform genome sequencing at our genome-molecular laboratory for a more extensive study,” - notes Yerzhan Mukatayevich.
8. Oncological psychologist support
Most people are convinced that cancer is a death sentence. Cancer patients develop their own special outlook on life, burdened with anxiety and fear of the future. The “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center provides support of an oncological psychologist. Oncological psychologists specialize in psychological assistance to cancer patients and their relatives. They help to accept the disease and respond correctly to the diagnosis, changes in the course of the disease, to cope with psycho-emotional problems, stress, depression, anxiety.
9. Strict medical confidentiality
Medical confidentiality means that a medical professional is prohibited from disclosing information about the fact of seeking medical help, the patient's health status, diagnosis, examination results and information about personal life obtained during examination and treatment to third parties. “Medical confidentiality is observed at all levels,” - assures Yerzhan Mukatayevich. – It is the patient who appoints a confidant with whom it is possible to discuss his treatment. If he does not want, then we do not share this information with anyone."
10. Contact with patients after treatment
The “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center keeps in touch with all its patients after the treatment. According to the protocols, control MRI and CT examinations are prescribed, which patients must undergo within a certain period of time and provide for monitoring the results of treatment.
11. JCI International Certificate
The “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center has the JCI certificate (accreditation of the Joint Commission International, JCI), which is an objective recognition of the quality and safety of services in medical organizations. The presence of the JCI accreditation certificate in a clinic is regarded as the highest reputation in the international medical world and an unconditional guarantee of trust for foreign patients, traveling outside their country in search of high quality medical services.
12. Cost of tomotherapy treatment
“In the Western world, the tomotherapy treatment of oncology is performed only on a paid basis. And, as a rule, it is very expensive,” - explains Yerzhan Mukatayevich. The “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center has fixed prices for tomotherapy for residents of the Republic of Kazakhstan and for citizens of near and far abroad. In addition, for residents of Kazakhstan, the service is available within the guaranteed volume of free medical care. Foreign citizens can use the services of the center within the framework of their insurance policy: the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center works with insurance companies under a contract.
For all questions regarding the cost of cancer treatment at the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center, please write to info@tomo.kz.
SERVICES OF THE “UMIT” ONCOLOGICAL TOMOTHERAPY CENTER
The “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center owns all the resources for high-quality comprehensive diagnostics and effective treatment of oncological diseases. In the center, the services for patients are as follows:
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Tomotherapy Department: 2 TomoTherapy HD radiation therapy machines, manufactured by Accuray (USA), fully serviced. All consumables, fixing devices and masks are disposable, all is of foreign production;
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Mammology Center, equipped with an innovative digital mammography system with tomosynthesis function for the most accurate visualization of breast pathologies, even at early stages. Consultations with experienced mammology oncologists. Read more here: All about mammography: to whom, for what, when and how; and here: Breast cancer: don’t be afraid of a mammologist;
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Computed tomography Department;
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Department of ultrasound investigation with expert class ultrasound machines;
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Endoscopy Department: modern Pentax equipment, FEGDS, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy. Examination, if desired, can be performed under sedation. A wide range of minimally invasive endoscopic surgeries;
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All types of biopsies, including trepanobiopsy. Liquid biopsy is a new method of highly sensitive diagnosis based on a blood sample. Examination of tumor cells DNA volume, circulating in the bloodstream: the most common 7 types of cancer are determined by only 5 ml of blood;
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Genetic molecular laboratory, clinical and biochemical laboratory, services of immunologists-geneticists, pathohistological examination of material, microbiological examination (together with “NSMC” JSC);
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4 pediatric and 4 adult anesthesiologists perform procedures under sedation;
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Chemotherapy room for outpatient treatment, under the supervision of an experienced nurse and chemotherapist. Read more about chemotherapy here: New in cancer treatment: modern chemotherapy
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Laser surgery room, MCL 31 Dermablate erbium laser made in Germany for the removal of skin neoplasms, as well as for cosmetic purposes.
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Consultations of specialized doctors: oncogynecologist, oncourologist, oncodermatologist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist;
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"UMIT" Oncological Tomotherapy Center together with the NSMC received grants for the study and development of such an innovative direction in cancer treatment as immuno-cell therapy + tomotherapy;
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All conditions for palliative care in the "AMARA" partner palliative care center.
HOW TO GET TREATMENT AT THE “UMIT” ONCOLOGICAL TOMOTHERAPY CENTER?
Send epicrises from the medical history, including all diagnoses, examination results, treatment courses, methods and treatment regimens to the e-mail info@tomo.kz. After examining the patient's medical history and after preliminary consultation, the specialists of the “UMIT” Oncological Tomotherapy Center will acquaint the patient with the center's work program and pricing policy. If necessary, the patient may be asked to undergo additional examination.
The "UMIT" Oncological Tomotherapy Center offers transfer services. Since the treatment in the center is outpatient, The "UMIT" Oncological Tomotherapy Center has agreements with three hotels in Astana, which provide discounts for the patients of the center. Translation services are also provided.