Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (AMDI), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is a medical research institute. This unique cancer research and postgraduate institute that is located in Penang, a northern state in Malaysia has an in-patient capacity of 80 beds. It is a referral institute for comprehensive cancer services and therapeutic/diagnostic nuclear medicine. With the adoption of highly advanced technology and skilled researchers, AMDI-USM has seen uninterrupted growth in the areas of clinical cancer research, basic science and translational research.
AMDI-USM introduced brachytherapy in 2015.
The radiation oncologist in AMDI-USM has worked at the Melbourne Prostate Institute previously and has vast experience in LDR and HDR prostate brachytherapy. Radiation oncologist and physicists from the AMDI-USM have also attended prostate brachytherapy workshop during the 2016 ASTRO pre-congress and image guided gynecology brachytherapy training at the Chulalongkorn Hospital, Bangkok. The institute was quick to adopt this technology and has been offering CT-guided 3D brachytherapy for multiple anatomical sites to cancer patients since 2015.
IPPT offers an extensive brachytherapy services with a special focus on Liver, Gynecological, Prostate, Head and Neck, Rectal and Esophageal cancers.
The center has impressive brachytherapy facilities and a dedicated brachytherapy team consisting of 2 radiation oncologists, 6 physicists, 3 radiologist, 1 ENT surgeon, 2 breast onco-plastic surgeons, 1 hepatobiliary surgeon, 1 urologist and dedicated dental specialists who are actively involved and help in the brachytherapy procedure. Around 110 patients receive brachytherapy treatment a year at AMDI. All brachytherapy plans at AMDI-USM are CT or MRI image-based 3D plans and is recognized as an expert center in the region.
From April 2020, AMDI-USM is a designated global Educational Center for gynecological, liver, head and neck, prostate and esophageal brachytherapy techniques, with a special focus on primary and secondary liver malignancies and also head and neck malignancies.
The hospital hosts clinical workshops for radiation oncologists, medical physicists, surgical fraternity, radiologist, ENT surgeons and OMF surgeons, generals’ surgeons on brachytherapy and its use in cancer treatment. In near future, AMDI-USM will offer brachytherapy treatment for cholangiocarcinoma’s.
Observational visits to the hospital are organized for people wishing to learn more about the wide range of brachytherapy services offered at AMDI-USM where they can observe clinical workflows and daily practices at first hand. AMDI-USM can host Monday to Friday in-house observational visits on the aspects of CT-guided 3D brachytherapy for liver and tongue tumors.
Publication | Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia