Its technical name is a linear accelerator, and it basically delivers radiotherapy to cancer patients in a minutely precise way that minimises negative consequences.
The €5 million investment in operation now at Porto’s IPO (Portuguese Oncology Institute) shows, says health minister Adalberto Campos, that the combat against cancer is one of this government’s priorities. It also proves that the national health service in Portugal is “alive”, he added.
“This device will serve to increase quality”, Laranja Pontes, president of the IPO’s administrative council, confirmed.
“The message we want to pass to citizens is that they need to get early diagnoses, as when this happens we have the necessary technology to perform treatments that are highly effective and give little harmful side effects”.
The way this device works is by customising high-energy x-rays to a tumour’s shape so that they can destroy cancer cells while sparing surrounding normal tissue.
