NEW X-RAY OPERATING THEATRE AT THE A.F. TSYBA MRRC

A new X-ray operating room, equipped with the most modern equipment, has started its active work at the A. Tsyb Medical Radiological Research Centre (MRRC) – the branch of the FSBI “National Medical Research Radiological Centre” (NMRRC) of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. This is the second operating room opened on the basis of the Department of Radiosurgical Methods of Diagnostics and Treatment. All this became possible due to the implementation of the Federal Project “Fight against oncological diseases”. Now even more patients will be able to receive high-tech assistance in the shortest possible time.

The Department of Radiosurgical Methods of Diagnostics and Treatment appeared in the Centre six years ago, and during this time it has become one of the most promising, where the latest and unique methods of treatment of tumours and diseases of the cardiovascular system are applied.

Endovascular surgeons work in several directions at once, using minimally invasive technologies for their interventions. All manipulations are performed through a pinpoint puncture in an artery or vein, using catheters and microcatheters of various forms to traverse the path from the puncture to the pathological focus, where the therapeutic effect is applied:

• embolisation of vessels, i.e. blocking their lumen in case of bleeding;
• intra-arterial chemotherapy through the vessel feeding the tumour;
• chemoembolisation combination of intra-arterial chemotherapy and embolisation;
• radioembolisation of the liver by delivering radiopharmaceuticals to the tumour (so-called intrathecal radiotherapy);
• balloon angioplasties of peripheral arteries restoration of adequate arterial blood supply of abdominal organs, lower extremities in case of atherosclerosis;
• stenting of coronary arteries to restore adequate blood supply to the heart to prevent myocardial infarction and heart failure.

Throughout the entire intervention, the patient is conscious and under local anesthesia, thanks to which they feel no pain and recover faster.

“The undeniable advantage of chemo- and radioembolisation is that the drug or radiopharmaceutical is delivered directly to the tumour, thus achieving maximum effect. At the same time, the toxicity, or radiation load, for the organism outside the tumour site is significantly reduced. Today, when another operating theatre has been opened in our department, we can help even more patients who need it, says Valery Kucherov, Head of the Department of Radiosurgery at the A. Tsyb MRRC.

Two years ago, the Centre’s team received the Government Prize in the field of science and technology. The award was given for the development, testing and implementation of the method of radioembolisation of the liver using domestic microspheres based on yttrium-90 radionuclide.

Now the specialists have completed the first and second phase of clinical trials of a new drug “Hepatoren-MRRC”, which has no analogues in the world and was created by the Centre’s scientists in the Centre’s own nuclear pharmacy.