Sergei Sobyanin spoke about the first year of work of the nuclear medicine center in Kommunarka
A year ago we opened a nuclear medicine center at the Kommunarka Moscow Multidisciplinary Clinical Center. As a result, capital’s patients gained access to the cutting-edge technologies for the diagnostics and treatment of oncological diseases. Sergei Sobyanin described the progress in this area in a post on his blog.
“The center has three departments—X-Ray therapy, radionuclide therapy, and radioisotope diagnostics, which employ 28 doctors, seven medical physicists, and more than 50 nurses. Over the past year, approximately three thousand patients received effective treatment here and more than five thousand underwent high-precision radioisotope diagnostics,” the Mayor of Moscow wrote.
Departments of the Nuclear Medicine Center
The X-Ray therapy Department is equipped with a unique complex of three linear accelerators for performing ultra-precise remote 3D and 4D X-Ray therapy. There is a diagnostic unit with X-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (CT and MRI) devices for creating an individual treatment plan, including the preparation for X-Ray therapy, as well as a close-focus X-ray therapy unit, where superficial tumors, such as skin neoplasms, are treated, and a brachytherapy unit—a method of X-Ray therapy using a radioactive source that is delivered directly into the tumor.
The radionuclide therapy department has an isolated unit consisting of special rooms with “hot” beds. There are patients there who are receiving treatment with radioactive drugs.
During the medical trial, special medicinal products containing radioactive isotopes are used. After entering the human body, they quickly accumulate in tissues affected by the pathological process, and special devices read their radiation. It makes it possible to determine the extent of the disease and to assess the effect of the specialized therapy over time.
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)/X-ray computed tomography (CT) allows us to analyze the structure and functionality of organs and tissues. This technique is used for both adults and children. Due to SPECT/CT and PET/CT (single-photon and positron emission computed tomography), specialists can evaluate the effectiveness of treatment as well as detect the presence of metastases.
Individualized treatment plan and approach
Each patient at the center receives an individual approach, in which a treatment plan is developed in accordance with the specifics of the disease. For example, patients with pelvic tumors undergoing stereotactic X-Ray therapy take MR topometry, which allows for a more accurate determination of the amount of radiation and minimizes the load on healthy tissues.
If necessary, patients with tumors of the lung, mediastinum, and mammary gland are treated with hardware-assisted breathing control to reduce the load on the lungs and heart.
Intracavity brachytherapy is carried out under sedation. It increases the precision of the impact during the treatment and also ensures comfort for patients—discomfort is reduced to zero.
“During the course of treatment, each patient is supervised by a multidisciplinary team of specialists: radiologists, radiotherapists, X-Ray therapists, oncologists. If necessary, doctors of other specialties join them,” Sergei Sobyanin adds.
Most patients receive X-Ray therapy in a day-stay hospital. After a short waiting in comfortable conditions, the person is invited to a procedure, which lasts from five to 30 minutes, and then they can go home.
Comfortable conditions for doctors and patients
In total, the building contains 50 day-stay hospital beds and 26 round-the-clock beds.
In the diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases, there are no trifles, so the nuclear medicine center has created all the conditions for a comfortable stay for patients and the successful work of doctors.
The modern building with a total area of 12,900 square meters was built using energy-efficient materials and technologies. The light-colored facades were decorated with blue inset panels and architectural lighting.
To protect against radiation, the thickness of monolithic wall structures in areas where powerful medical equipment is installed was increased to almost three meters.
The nuclear medicine center was connected by heated overhead walkways with outpatient and children’s clinical buildings. And nearby, they have created parks for walks, which can be used by both patients and their family members.
The medical gas system and pneumatic mail are integrated with other clinical buildings of the Kommunarka Clinical Center. The clinical buildings are equipped with backup power and heat supply, the latest fire safety systems, the alarm and evacuation systems, the access control systems, and the security CCTV.
Medical logistics have been carefully thought out: optimal routes for patients and medical staff to carry out all diagnostic and treatment procedures.
The clinical building’s departments have been adapted for patients with limited mobility. Special handrails were installed in wards and offices, and elevator halls as well as comfortable waiting areas were expanded. We have added navigation in Braille for people with visual impairments. The ventilation and air conditioning system provides a comfortable microclimate. The restrooms were equipped with buttons to call medical staff.
Five years ago, the hospital in Kommunarka became the first and most famous COVID hospital in Russia. Methods for diagnosing and treating COVID-19 were developed and implemented here, which were distributed throughout the country.
“Today, the experience of the Kommunarka Moscow Multidisciplinary Clinical Center helps other regions in improving the quality of medical care for cancer patients. Medics at the center share their findings on a regular basis with their colleagues. Thanks to the new nuclear medicine center, thousands of patients receive advanced treatment, and doctors continue to improve methods for combating oncological diseases,” Sergei Sobyanin concludes.
