NCI makes sure that nobody is alone in the fight with cancer. The major part of the fight lies in curing of the cancer. NCI helps in the process of curing of cancer by upholding the value of Parivar Shakti and granting equal access for all to the best and most advanced treatments.
Radiation therapy also known as radiotherapy is used in treating cancer by using high doses of radiation to kill the cancer cells and in the process shrink tumors. This slows their growth causing damage to their DNA which makes them stop dividing or die and ultimately remove them completely from the body. It is used in the treatment of most types of cancers. Recognizing the detrimental role played by radiotherapy in curing of cancer, NCI has developed a dedicated radiation oncology department with advanced treatment technology and a dedicated team of doctors specialized in the field of radiation oncology.
Chemotherapy is the most commonly used procedure as it is used in treating cancer as well as easing the cancer symptoms. This happens as a result of stopping or slowing the growth of the cancer cells in the body and shrinking the tumors causing pain and other issues. It is used in curing many types of cancer and used as the primary treatment or secondarily to address the issues caused due to the symptoms. The prevalence of chemotherapy in cancer treatment has made it important for NCI to develop all the necessary infrastructure required for the chemotherapy sessions including in-patient provision and also outpatient and day care services for the ease and comfort of the patients.
Surgeries are the procedures used to remove the cancer completely from the body. Surgical Oncology primarily carries out surgeries required during the course of cancer treatment. There are different procedures that are used for different cancers and depending on the requirement of patients. Administration of Anaesthesia also plays an important to carry out these complex procedures on cancer patients. Taking all these requirements into consideration, NCI has a dedicated department of Surgical Oncology with doctors specialized in carrying out surgeries of different cancers. NCI also has department of Anaesthesia for the precise and expertized implementation of cancer surgeries.
Bone Marrow transplant which has recently came to be known as stem cell transplant is a cancer cure procedure followed mostly in the case of cancers related to blood. Bone Marrow cells can be transformed into other types of cells and hence can be used to generate new and healthy cells in the course of cancer therapy.
The most uncommon procedure in cancer therapy due to lack of expertize or infrastructure, Immunotherapy is provided at NCI based on the needs of the patient. Immunotherapy helps the immune system fight cancer. It has been a relatively new and a rare procedure in India until recently as it is a type of biological therapy. It uses substances made from the living organisms like blood cells, organisms and tissues in order to treat cancer.