In Portugal, the incidence rate of malignant tumours is of about 426 cases per 100.000 inhabitants (source: General Direction on Health, 2014). These numbers are growing, due to general population ageing. These values already reflect a European and global trend and represent a challenge for worldwide health.

Extraordinary progress in cancer treatment is a result of several factors, amongst which the following prevail: information campaigns on risk behaviour, generalizing efficient screenings, recurring to modern technologies for lab and imaging diagnosis, allowing early detection of the disease, and more effective and better tolerated treatments.

Modern oncological treatment is based on a multidisciplinary approach, involving different medical areas and a wide range of treatments, with special emphasis on chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Image-guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT),Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), Volumetric Arc Therapy (VMAT) or RapidArc® Radiotherapy Technology (is an advanced form of IMRT that delivers a precisely-sculpted 3D dose distribution with a 360-degree rotation of the gantry in a single or multi-arc treatment) and Gating system or Respiratory Phase Motion (RPM) supportedby advanced technological equipment, ensure the high effectiveness and accuracy of treatment, associated with more comfort for patients when compared to 3Dconventional radiotherapy.

Joaquim ChavesSaúde Radiotherapy & Oncology Clinics are equipped with the latest technologies on:

Nuclear Medicine

• This specialty operates in close association with modern Oncology, both in screening cancer and planning radiotherapy treatments and in monitoring the progression of the disease.

• Joaquim ChavesSaúde Radiotherapy & Oncology units are equipped with CT PET Scan last generation devices. These allow early detection of cancer and planning treatment in connection with Radiotherapy.

External BeamRadiotherapy

• This technique recurs to radiation to treat tumours through linear accelerators. Currently, in 50% of cases it is either used alone or as a complement to surgery and chemotherapy.

Stereotactic Radiotherapy

• This technique uses high doses of tumour-directed radiation with great precision, avoiding radiation of adjacent, healthy and sensitive organs. It may be divided in several sessions or in a single one (Radiosurgery). Stereotactic Radiotherapy is non-invasive and an outpatient treatment. It is mostly used for treatment of intracranial tumours.

Radiosurgery

• Single session precision technique, most commonly used in brain tumours and metastasis. Radiosurgery results vary according to the pathology being treated: over 90% success rate for radiosensitive brain metastasis, about 75% for arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) with late closure and lower percentages on palliative therapy for some types of tumours.

• Radiosurgery is a multidisciplinary tool, very effective and non-invasive, playing an important role as an alternative or complimentary treatment of several pathologies, especially intracranial lesions with low probability of success with conventional therapy options.

InterstitialIntracavitary Brachytherapy with HDR machine

• Brachytherapy is an advanced cancer treatment technique that uses radioactive sources placed inside or very close to the tumour. This enables high doses of radiation directly on target, without affecting healthy surrounding tissues.

Permanent Brachytherapy (Radioactive Seed Implantation Therapy)

• In this procedure, slowly released radioactive seeds are implanted on the prostate aiming to cure tumours of this kind.

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

• IMRT is and advanced type of treatment, very effective in the extinction of original tumours and likely areas of tumour spreading.

Image guided radiotherapy (IGRT)

• IGRT is a high precision treatment. Surrounding tissues are spared thanks to imaging techniques – MRI, CT scan, Ultrasound and Conventional Radiotherapy.

Some of our Radiotherapy and Oncology units also offer Medical Oncology services, being prepared and equiped to administer chemotherapy treatments.

MINIMIZE