A 3D brachytherapy service, which is unique in the country, was officially opened at the Cancer Institute. The equipment is a donation made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with a total cost of €19,500, IPN reports.
Minister of Health Ala Nemerenco noted that the equipment is very important for doctors to ensure efficient and modern treatment. This type of radiation therapy is more beneficial because it can strictly target the tumor and is less harmful to other organs.
Carmina Velasco, IAEA representative for Eastern Europe, noted that a new nuclear medicine service, such as ion radiotherapy, will be launched in the future. In Moldova, as in other countries, cancer puts a lot of pressure on people’s health. The Agency intends to help Moldova implement projects aimed at fighting cancer.
Ruslan Baltaga, director of the Cancer Institute, said that in 2022 alone, more than 400 new pieces of equipment were installed in the Institute, which is five times more than during the five previous years. He noted that the human resource is also important, assuring that the Cancer Institute has a well-trained team to work with these devices that are indispensable in the treatment of cancer.
Ludmila Eftodiev, head of the Cancer Institute’s Department of Radiation Oncology, said that the equipment ensures the transfer from an old 2D technique to a 3D one. Irradiation with this device is done at short distances and represents an advanced treatment method by placing the radiation source in the tumor or in its immediate vicinity, thus protecting the neighboring healthy tissues from exposure to radiation. Tolerance to such treatment is higher, while harmfulness is lower. Although it is more difficult to use the 3D technique, the accuracy is higher.
