Oncology is the specialised branch of medicine that focuses on understanding the complex biology of cancer, a disease characterised by abnormal & uncontrolled cell growth. Treatment for malignancies is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach and highly precise diagnosis and monitoring. The rapid growth of tumours and their variability in the organ of origin make it essential to seek medical help as early as possible to prevent the spread of cancer and enhance long-term survival.
Apollo Hospitals Hyderabad is a premier cancer care facility, combining advanced cancer medical, surgical and radiation treatments in one place. The hospital treats solid tumours, haematological malignancies and complex metastatic diseases in accordance with evidence-based global protocols. The clinical team focuses on precision-based therapies to target cancerous cells while preserving healthy tissue.
Correct and precise diagnosis always sets the foundation for an effective oncology care plan. Since the symptoms of different cancers can be similar, a diagnostic pathway is required to ensure that the correct cancer type, stage, and marker profile are confirmed before commencing treatment. Apollo Hospitals Hyderabad has a sophisticated diagnostic setup that enables detailed mapping of tumours.
- HD PET Scan
- 3.0 Tesla MRI
- SPECT CT Gamma Camera
A high definition PET scan system that merges metabolic tracking and anatomical imaging. It can identify areas of increased metabolic activity that may support cancer detection and staging.
A highly powerful magnetic resonance imaging system that offers high contrast resolution for soft tissue assessment. It can be used to outline brain tumours, musculoskeletal sarcomas, and pelvic cancers with detailed soft tissue assessment without ionising radiation.
A specialised nuclear medicine imaging device that combines single-photon emission computed tomography and computed tomography. This generates highly precise functional images, which are needed for imaging bone metastases, assessing organ function and evaluating selected metastatic conditions.
The department provides comprehensive treatment for oncological conditions. The advanced imaging systems and precision surgical tools enable the procedures that are expected of a comprehensive cancer centre.
- Medical Oncology and Targeted Therapies
- Surgical Oncology and Minimally Invasive Resections
In medical oncology, systemic therapy (treatment throughout the body) is used to treat cancer. Advanced systemic therapies, which go beyond conventional chemotherapy, are coordinated by a senior Medical Oncologist in Hyderabad at Apollo Hospitals, minimising damage to healthy tissues.
Targeted Therapy: This approach uses specialised drugs to block specific molecular pathways and proteins that cancer cells rely on for growth and survival, thereby preventing tumour growth while sparing normal cells.
Immunotherapy: Advanced biological interventions that teach the body's immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy: Used after surgery to try to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Used before surgery to reduce tumours and enhance treatment results.
Hormonal Therapy: This restrains or changes hormones, which causes the development of several forms of cancer.
Palliative Care: Designed to relieve pain and symptoms and increase the quality of life.
When localised solid tumours require physical removal, a dedicated Surgical Oncologist in Hyderabad performs precise resections designed to clear the cancer while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.
Robotic Onco Surgery: Advanced robotic surgical platforms; surgeons can perform surgery with high dexterity and three-dimensional, magnified visualisation, through small incisions. This precision enables the safe removal of complex tumours in deep pelvic or thoracic regions with reduced blood loss and faster recovery.
Organ-Preserving Resections: In breast, sarcoma, and head and neck cancers, the surgical team strives to preserve organ function whenever oncologically safe and to reconstruct the microvascular system simultaneously.
Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC): A complex surgical technique used for cancers that have disseminated in the abdominal cavity. The surgeon uses heated chemotherapy to kill any remaining microscopic cancer cells after the tumours are completely removed from the abdomen.
Modern radiation therapy relies on delivery systems that maximise the radiation dose to the tumour while minimising exposure to the surrounding healthy tissues.
Varian RapidArc Linear Accelerator: This is an advanced volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) system that rotates the radiation beam around the patient, delivering precise radiation in a shorter treatment duration. By taking advantage of the tumour's shape, this technology delivers the radiation dose only to that region, reducing treatment time and sparing surrounding healthy organs.
FFF Radiosurgery: Flattening Filter-Free (FFF) technology enables the linear accelerator to deliver high-intensity radiation doses very quickly. It can be used to deliver highly precise treatments that target deep-seated tumours in the brain or individual lesions in the lung and/or liver, in a few sessions without an incision.
The department also offers a wide range of advanced radiation technologies and specialised treatment modalities, including:
TrueBeam
PET-CT Guided Radiotherapy
HDR Brachytherapy
Total Skin Electron Beam Therapy
Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT)
Novalis TX
Extracorporeal Radiation for Bone Tumours
3-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy (3D-CRT)
TomoTherapy
High-Precision External Beam Radiotherapy
Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT)
Magna Field Radiation: Total Body Irradiation, Total Lymph Nodal Irradiation, and Total Marrow Irradiation.
Nuclear Medicine
The Department of Nuclear Medicine at Apollo Hospitals provides advanced diagnostic imaging and targeted radionuclide therapies using specialised radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose, monitor, and treat a wide range of conditions, particularly cancer.
Integrated programs are a necessary part of successful, long-term patient management and help patients regain physical function and return to daily activities. Specific post-discharge follow-up is part of the hospital's support for patients' well-being after their admission.
The specialists follow programmed pathways to recovery tailored to achieve patients' objectives:
- Post-Treatment Monitoring
- Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy
- Personalised Nutritional Counselling
- Survivorship Programs:
Further scans and clinical follow-ups detect early recurrences, ensuring long-term health benefits.
Specific rehabilitation plans are devised to help restore mobility, physical stamina, and functional independence in daily living for patients experiencing loss.
Individualised metabolic and nutritional plans are created by clinical dietitians to support tissue healing and overall recovery.
These are comprehensive and include wellness tracking, mental health counselling, and patient education to ensure follow-up care.
A tumour board brings together sub-specialists (such as medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, and radiation oncologists) who evaluate the patient’s condition comprehensively to offer a treatment plan that incorporates all the specific features of that particular patient's diagnosis.
Robotic surgery is an accurate method carried out through minimal incisions, which decreases surgical stress, bleeding, risk of infection, and postoperative pain. It greatly improves the patient's recovery, allowing them to resume a normal life much sooner.
Chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing cells throughout the body, including both normal and cancerous cells. The targeted therapies attack proteins or mutations specific to cancerous cells, so there is less damage to healthy cells.
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