Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], February 6 (ANI/BusinessWire India): CHL Hospitals 114, Indore, in collaboration with Elekta Medical Systems India Pvt. Ltd, launched its Elekta Harmony system on World Cancer Day. It is a first-of-its-kind linear accelerator (linac) aimed at improving cancer care and providing precision radiotherapy. With this new technology, CHL Hospitals 114 expects to increase its capability to deliver advanced, precise radiotherapy treatment to patients and improve their quality of life.



The launch took place in the presence of Mahima Chaudhary, actress and cancer survivor, along with Dr Ashwin Rangole, Director - Oncology, Sr. Surgical Oncologist, Dr Piyush Shukla, HOD - Radiation Oncology, Sr. Radiation Oncologist, Dhananjay Kumar, COO, CHL Hospital and Manikandan Bala, Senior VP - TIMEA and Asia Pacific, Managing Director India, Elekta.



The rising cancer burden has been one of the biggest challenges in India's healthcare infrastructure. Cancer is one of the leading cause of mortality in India. As per Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) report that cancer incidence has increased in past years. In 2022, 14.6 lakh new cancer cases and an estimated 8.08 lakh fatalities had been recorded. The most prevalent cancer recorded in India are lung, oral, cervical, breast and stomach cancers. Cancer incident in India is expected to increase in the upcoming years. It has also been predicted that by 2025, there will be 29.8 million cancer patients in India.[i]



More than 50% of cancer patients would benefit from radiotherapy and sophisticated medical equipment like linear accelerators in India. There is a critical need for adequate infrastructure to treat cancer patients. As per the WHO, there should be one radiotherapy (RT) system per one million population. Currently, India has 0.4 RT systems for a million population.



Advanced linacs such as Elekta Harmony can help in mitigating the aforementioned problems by providing best in class treatment up to 70% faster, thereby reducing long waiting times and increasing the chances of survival. Additionally, this equipment allows patients to receive personalised radiotherapy treatments, including 3D, IMRT, VMAT, DCAT, and SBRT.

"CHL Hospitals 114 and Elekta's collaboration is a step closer in the direction of leveraging advanced treatment options for cancer care. Elekta Harmony is a treatment system designed to meet healthcare centres' need for productive, precise and versatile radiotherapy treatment. It is well-equipped to address the care gap, providing a holistic ecosystem for cancer care in India," said Dr Ashwin Rangole, Director - Oncology, Sr. Surgical Oncologist.



Dr Piyush Shukla, HOD - Radiation Oncology, Sr. Radiation Oncologist at the launch said, "We are happy to unveil this path-breaking therapy, a key milestone in precision radiotherapy. We at CHL are proud to bring to patients Elekta Harmony, a state-of-the-art precision radiotherapy linac. With this machine, we will ensure that patients will be provided the same quality of therapy solutions available internationally. This technology will be accessible to more patients that need it."



"We keep advancing our treatments and investing to improve healthcare service delivery for our patients. We are thrilled that we will now be able to offer cutting-edge technology in precision radiotherapy with Elekta Harmony for our patients in Madhya Pradesh," said Dhananjay Kumar COO at CHL Hospitals 114 Indore.



Manikandan Bala, Elekta's Senior VP - TIMEA and Asia Pacific, Managing Director India, said, "Elekta Harmony marks a new chapter in advanced precision cancer treatments in India, helping to fulfil Elekta's strategy, ACCESS 2025. With the versatility of Harmony, Elekta is in a position to make radiotherapy accessible to any centre that needs it."



To learn more about Elekta Harmony, visit https://findyourbalance.elekta.com/

[i] https://www.livemint.com/science/health/indias-cancer-burden-to-rise-to-29-8-million-in-2025-icmr-report-11652382169284.html

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