Buenos Aires, December 1 (NA) — A state-of-the-art linear accelerator designed for the treatment of children with cancer has arrived at the Garrahan Hospital, a healthcare center that has the only pediatric radiotherapy service in the country. The incorporation of this technology marks a before and after in the treatment of these patients in Argentina and the region. The institution stated this in a report accessed by the Argentine News Agency (NA), indicating that the new Elekta Evoque linear accelerator arrived at the pediatric center, distributed in boxes and in three large trucks, during an operation in which about 15 operators and technicians participated to carry out and supervise such an important mission. "We are receiving at Garrahan a medical team that forever changes the treatment of childhood cancer in Argentina," said César Avellaneda, a member of the Hospital's Board of Administrators, who was present at the arrival. Also present were the advisor, Dr. Jorge Menehem, the executive medical director, Dr. Mariano Pirozzo, the technical services director, Darío Filippo, and the head of the Radiotherapy Service, Natalia Pinto. The acquisition of the equipment, which will allow for more precise and safe radiotherapy treatments for children and adolescents with cancer from all over the country, is framed in the recently announced Hospital Works Plan and the National Nuclear Medicine Plan, promoted by the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA). "The incorporation of the Elekta EVO linear accelerator reaffirms our commitment to being the best pediatric hospital in Latin America and to providing our patients with the best possible care. It is the most precise and safe technology in the world, specifically designed for pediatric patients," added Avellaneda. Garrahan also indicated that the hospital has been working for months in the area where this equipment will operate, adapting rooms, reinforcing infrastructure, and preparing each space. Last Thursday, the assembly, calibration, and training stage for the professionals who will handle this technology began, and finally, its activation. Meanwhile, Dr. Pinto highlighted that: "The pediatric radiotherapy service at Garrahan is unique in the country. In this hospital, we attend to 50% of the children with cancer in the country. Here we treat half of the children with cancer in Argentina with a five-year survival rate of over 70%, comparable to the best centers in the world." The doctor said that "the quality of care in this case is closely linked to the technological resource, which is why the incorporation of a linear accelerator of this type will improve the quality of care and allows us to reaffirm our commitment to excellence in the treatment of children with cancer".
Benefits of the linear accelerator The Elekta EVO linear accelerator is a state-of-the-art device specifically designed for the treatment of pediatric patients. Among its main benefits are: • Maximum precision: it allows directing radiation to the tumor with millimeter accuracy. • Less toxicity: as it is a highly focused radiotherapy, it minimizes the exposure of surrounding healthy tissues, thus reducing long-term adverse effects and respecting child development. • Online adaptive radiotherapy: this technology makes it possible to adjust the treatment in real time, adapting to the patient's anatomical changes in each session. One in two families going through such a difficult time come here, to this hospital," indicated César Avellaneda, a member of the Hospital's Board of Administrators, one of those who witnessed the arrival. In addition, the president of the Board of Administrators, Dr...
