NEIGRIHMS adds hope to cancer patients

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 17, 2024

In a small inauguration ceremony, Prof. (Dr.) Nalin Mehta, Director of NEIGRIHMS, dedicated the newly acquired state-of-the-art Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) machine for patient care at the institute on October 16.

Dr. Caleb Harris, Surgical Oncologist, highlighted the application of HIPEC, explaining that it is used for the instillation of heated chemotherapeutic agents into the abdominal cavity for the effective treatment of peritoneal malignancies.

HIPEC has several advantages over standard chemotherapy. It is a single treatment done in the operating room, instead of multiple treatments over several weeks, and 90% of the drug stays within the abdominal cavity, thereby decreasing the toxic effects of chemotherapy on the rest of the body, while allowing for a more intense dose. This offers hope for patients with cancers that previously had only palliative treatment options.

Dr. Daniala C., Medical Superintendent, said that NEIGRIHMS strives to offer the latest advances in cancer care to patients of North East India. Director Prof. (Dr.) Nalin Mehta added that NEIGRIHMS has made steady progress in making comprehensive and advanced cancer care available to the people of the region, who would otherwise travel to other parts of the country for treatment.

The HIPEC procedure was successfully performed earlier at NEIGRIHMS, and now that the institute has procured this sophisticated equipment, numerous patients can benefit.