BS RAWAT
CHENNAI: South Asia’s first proton therapy centre, built by Apollo Hospitals, has been inaugurated by India's Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, giving cancer patients access to a specialized form of radiotherapy that is extremely precise in destroying cancer cells.

Built at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC), located in Taramani, offers world-class comprehensive cancer care to cancer patients using pencil-beam scanning technology with the highest degree of precision.

The 150-bed cancer care centre strengthens Apollo Hospitals’ position at the frontline in the war on cancer. The clinical advantages of proton therapy as compared to conventional radiation therapy are many, with more than 200,000 patients successfully treated worldwide.

Proton beam therapy takes the fight to cancer with increased precision and greater dose delivery at the precise site of the cancer, minimizing damage to healthy tissue, yielding better quality of life and a higher cure rate. This ultimately gives better results with fewer short and long-term side effects.

Mr Naidu said, “The first Proton Cancer Therapy Centre launched  by Apollo Hospitals group will serve patients not just in India, but also our neighbours in South East Asia. This pioneering treatment also marks a new milestone in the medical journey of our country.”

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palaniswami said, “Tamil Nadu has always been in the forefront when it comes to healthcare and with the opening of this centre, the State shall continue to offer the best to patients.”

G. Nageswara Rao, Chairman, AERB, said, “AERB earnestly hopes this most advanced “Apollo Proton Cancer Centre” will conquer the dreaded cancer disease at affordable cost in a safe manner for the needy people of India and others in the region.”

Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, said, “The launch of the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre puts India on the global map for the best and latest in cancer treatment and will give new hope to cancer patients not just in India, but across South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa.”