NEW DELHI, India, May 31 — Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital has achieved a significant medical milestone by successfully treating a head and neck cancer patient using a unique combination of Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT) and adaptive radiotherapy for the first time in India.
The breakthrough technique allowed doctors to deliver precision radiation therapy without the use of a tight immobilization mask or a simulation CT scan.
According to doctors, the patient, a man in his mid-50s with a history of mouth cancer, arrived at the hospital’s emergency department with excessive and continuous bleeding from a massively enlarged tumor after previous surgery and radiotherapy treatments had failed to produce successful results.
Given the patient’s poor overall condition, medical teams prioritized stabilizing him before initiating further treatment.
Conventional radiotherapy for head and neck cancers typically relies on tight plastic immobilization masks and simulation CT scans to prevent patient movement during treatment. However, doctors determined that the critically ill patient would be unable to tolerate the rigorous process.
To administer the radiation needed to stop the life-threatening bleeding and provide comfort, the hospital successfully deployed the advanced technology. Following the clinical intervention, the patient responded well to treatment and was discharged on May 13, 2026.
Dr. Prasad Raj Dandekar, Head of Radiation Oncology at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, said the technique makes treatment more precise and effective, improving patient outcomes. He added that the Simulation-Free Radiotherapy (SFRT) protocol will help an increasing number of cancer patients gain access to rapid, targeted care.
“Precision and speed are both important in the treatment of cancer patients, especially those with advanced-stage cancer who experience significant pain, bleeding, or other symptoms. Radiotherapy, which uses high-energy X-rays, plays an important role in treating these patients,” Dr. Dandekar said.
“The latest treatment techniques of Simulation-Free Radiotherapy (SFRT), pioneered by Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, will make radiotherapy available to patients much faster than conventional methods. This technique also makes treatment more precise and effective, thus improving patient outcomes. SFRT will help more cancer patients receive quick and precise cancer care,” he added. (ANI)
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