Asian Hospital invests in high-tech to fight The Big C

It is using TomoTherapy to boost Filipinos’ chances against the country’s No. 2 killer.

Asian Hospital and Medical Center is investing in advanced technology including TomoTherapy, as the Philippines tries to keep pace with global treatment trends to give Filipinos a fighting chance against the country’s No. 2 killer disease.

Beaver Tamesis, Asian president and CEO, said precision oncology, which ensures your treatment is specifically designed and targeted to your unique form of cancer, has lived up to its name.

“We saw this begin with targeted precision antibody therapy with the use of monoclonal antibodies,” he told Healthcare Asia. “So it stands to reason that all the other methodologies must move in that same direction.”

Tamesis said the hospital has invested in TomoTherapy, a machine that allows radiation oncologists to pinpoint the exact location of tumours and target them with radiation from many different directions, minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissues.

The patient lays on a table and is moved through a donut-shaped machine. The radiation source in the machine then rotates around the patient in a spiral pattern.

Tamesis said TomoTherapy is not only precise but also enhances the safety and comfort of patients. It can also cut treatment sessions to five from 30.

Tamesis said the government has a critical role in advancing oncological care. Congress passed the National Integrated Cancer Care Act (NICCA) in 2019 to provide medical and financial assistance to lessen the burden of cancer patients, cancer survivors, and their families.

“We are moving along with them in terms of looking at what they are investing in, and how we can put in more investment in our treatment modalities,” he added.
Tamesis cited the need for the Philippines to keep up with global trends in the treatment of The Big C, which is the second-leading cause of death among Filipinos, next to heart disease.

“The rest of our neighbours in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region were already investing in CyberKnife technology,” Tamesis said, referring to the only radiotherapy system that can track tumour movements during treatment without breath holding, gating or abdominal compression.

The CyberKnife system adjusts accordingly to minimise exposure to surrounding organs and tissues.
Tamesis also cited proton beam therapy, a radiation treatment that precisely delivers a beam of protons to disrupt and destroy tumour cells. Whilst significantly effective, it comes with a hefty price tag — billions of pesos.

“We’ll have to choose our battles,” the CEO said. “We're looking into which new technologies Asian Hospital should invest in to bring more access to our patients here in the country.”

Tamesis said even the most sophisticated innovations are of limited value if they remain inaccessible to most cancer patients.

“We have to find ways to be able to ensure that our services become affordable or tap government support so that patients can come in and access our facility,” he said.
Tamesis, an internist and cardiologist, cited the advantage of having a solid and unified direction amongst Asian Hospital staff, which is made possible through consistent dialogue and cross-functional collaboration to improve patient service.

“The patient is the true north star,” he said. “So long as we remember that our actions are geared towards the benefit of each patient, it all works out.”