Philips and IBA Will Offer Proton Therapy to Make Cancer Treatment Better in India

In India, the incidence of cancer is 70-90 per 100,000 people with children comprising nearly 5% of these patients. Proton therapy is used for the treatment of eye and brain cancers, tumors close to the brain stem and spinal cord as well as prostate, liver and lung cancers. With the precision that proton therapy offers, it is possible to target the tumor cells more effectively while limiting side effects of the treatment. Philips India and Belgian healthcare solutions company IBA have joined hands to offer proton therapy treatment in India.

This is part of an umbrella pact that the Netherlands-based Royal Philips and IBA have signed in September 2014.

Sameer Garde, president for Indian subcontinent for Philips Healthcare, said, "Proton therapy is the ultimate therapy in cancer treatment now. We have got into sales, marketing and research and development alliance with IBA."

Olivier Legrain, chief executive of IBA, said, "We have already introduced proton therapy treatment in five countries where Philips is present and slowly we will expand to all the countries where it is present. For cancer treatment, radiation therapy needs 30 sittings, whereas proton therapy needs only 5-10 sittings. Cost per sitting is the same for both the treatments for patients. Proton therapy reduces the number of times the patient goes under radiation beam. It is less toxic and has less side effects. A patient can undergo the treatment without remaining admitted in the hospital."

Source: IANS