Studies related to cancer treatment always contribute to the prevention and search for a cure for the disease. Here at Instituto Mário Penna we have qualified professionals who favor the emergence of new treatments for cancer patients. Physicist Jony Marques and radioconologist Dr. Arnoldo Mafra, both from the IMP, were part of an important research for the treatment of cancer, which obtained an international publication.
This research aims to develop and characterize a platform for in vitro cell irradiation. “For the treatment of cancer, there are numerous proposals for new drugs to increase the efficiency of the combined treatment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Before submitting patients to new treatments, they are initially tested on human cancer cells in studies called in vitro”; clarifies Jony Marques.
Those responsible for the study explain that as it is an in vitro study, it presents some problems, such as the fact that the cells do not receive a uniform dose of radiation, with typical uncertainties in the order of 25% or more. As all biological phenomena are dependent on the radiation dose received by the cells, large uncertainties in the dose values cause a loss of correlation between the dose variable and the effects caused, generating false or not fully understood results.
“Thus, the innovative proposal of this work brings the design of an acrylic platform, irradiated with clinical brachytherapy (the same that treats the gynecological patients of the IMP) and which reduces typical uncertainties of 25% in the dose value to something between 2 and 7 %, still proposing a correction factor to accurately obtain the radiation dose received by the cells”; explain.
“Despite the pandemic and the care it requires, we don’t forget the patients here. We’ve been working for 35 years helping those in need and somehow we had to do something at that time. This delivery to do good is very rewarding”; emphasizes José Maurício.
“Lymphomas are divided into two types: Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s. Within these two groups it is possible to further divide them into several subtypes, each with completely different clinical characteristics and treatments. But only through the biopsy of the lesions is it possible to differentiate them”; account Dr. Pedro.
“In the last year, after the start of the Covid pandemic, due to the fear of the new and isolation, the losses in all areas and the deaths experienced, the number of mental illnesses increased and, consequently, the number of self-extermination attempts. Aware of this context, we thought of a campaign aimed at the eyes of our employees: an empathetic, non-judgmental and humanized look, where we will try to guide on how to identify risk and prevention factors, inform how to help a colleague or even a family member, where to seek help and engage everyone in this cause to reduce psychological distress and the suicide rate”; explains Gizelle Mesquita, Coordinator of Humanization and Hospital Psychology.
Mariangela Moreira do Nascimento, Nursing Supervisor at the CME, explains that the STERRAD 100NX AllClear is a device that performs sterilization at low temperature with hydrogen peroxide plasma gas, in a safe way, without leaving toxic residues. “The arrival of the equipment will enable some improvements to the CME, such as a reduction in sterilization time, quality assurance, patient safety through the traceability of the processing of health products.”