Greater Noida, October 8th, 2025: Marking a milestone in advanced cancer care, ShardaCare Healthcity, a leading multispecialty hospital in North India, today reinforced its commitment to providing world-class oncology treatment by announcing the official launch of its state-of-theart High-Dose-Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy Unit. This advanced technology underscores the hospital’s mission to deliver precision-driven, patient-centric cancer care through cutting-edge innovation. The unit has been spearheaded by Dr Anil Thakwani, Senior Consultant & Head of Dept., Oncology, ShardaCare HealthCity.

Brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation therapy that places tiny radioactive sources directly in or near the tumour, delivering targeted radiation with high precision while minimizing harm to surrounding healthy tissues. HDR Brachytherapy - manufactured by Varian (earlier Nucleotron)- is an advanced internal radiation technique- utilizes a live source ofIridium-192, enabling clinicians to deliver highly localized doses of radiation directly within or next to the tumour. By placing the source close to the tumour site, this approach minimizes radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissues—offering enhanced safety and effectiveness compared to conventional External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) or Linear Accelerator (LINAC) treatments.

Speaking about the advancement, Dr. Anil Thakwani, Senior Consultant & H.O.D.- Oncology, ShardaCare Healthcity, said: “The precision of Brachytherapy is a game-changer, especially for gynaecological cancers like cervical cancer - where nearby organs like the bladder and rectum are at risk during traditional radiation therapy. With HDR Brachytherapy, radiation is confined to the tumour, greatly reducing collateral damage. This approach allows clinicians todeliver the full therapeutic dose while protecting surrounding healthy organs. By delivering radiation directly to the tumor, the low-energy Iridium-192 source ensures nearby critical organs such as the bladder and rectum are spared. This drastically reduces severe complications like cystitis, rectal ulcers, and fistula formation, which are often limiting factors in traditional radiotherapy. It allows us to offer safer, more effective treatment while improving the patient’s quality of life.

”He added, “ShardaCare Healthcity has been managing a growing number of cervical cancer cases and other malignancies suitable for Brachytherapy, including endometrial, prostate, and head and neck cancers. So far, the hospital has performed over 50 procedures using Brachytherapy. With increasing awareness, many patients are now presenting at more suitable and treatable stages, while cases referred from African countries often arrive at more advanced stages. The hospital has been successfully using the HDR Brachytherapy unit over the past year and has performed multiple complex cases, including cervical and other cancers, with positive clinical outcomes.”

Commenting on the milestone, Mr. Rishabh Gupta, Managing Director, ShardaCare Healthcity, said: “Our investment in the latest technology like HDR Brachytherapy Unit, reflects our unwavering commitment to staying at the forefront of medical innovation. At ShardaCare Healthcity, we’re not just acquiring advanced technologies—we’re redefining precision oncology by combining expertise, compassion, and the best of global cancer care. Our goal is to ensure every patient receives treatment that is safer, more accurate, and outcomes focused.”