AMETHYST – REGION LEADER

The Amethyst Radiotherapy Center in Krakow is a leading medical center in the region that has been specializing in the treatment of oncology patients for over a dozen years. Therapies are performed using a wide range of treatments using ionizing radiation. The dominant role of the center is evidenced by the statistics of procedures performed and the number of patients served at the facility.

Over the course of 18 months, from January 2021 to June 2022, the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center performed 5111 treatments, and nearly 4 (3997) patients received radiotherapy during this time . In 2021 alone, the Center provided 10437 radiotherapy consultations, several hundred oncological psychology consultations, and meetings on proper nutrition during cancer treatment.

These numbers, in the context of two other centers in Krakow performing similar procedures, put the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center in first place when it comes to the number of medical and medical-related procedures performed in the entire region.

"The statistics don't lie. Amethyst, as a well-coordinated, experienced team, fully dedicated to its duties, performs an enormous and very hard work every day. Our priority is to consistently maintain high standards of oncological treatment. From the very beginning of its operations in Poland, the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center has implemented a concept that involves a harmonious combination of the competences of physicians, medical physicists, and electroradiology technicians with the opportunities offered by collaboration with other medical operators in the region, including its largest partner – the Rydygier Hospital in Krakow," says Przemysław Zachwieja, President of the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center in Krakow.

The most frequently performed radiotherapy techniques at the Amethyst center include:

1) VMAT – (Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy) is a dynamic multi-arc radiotherapy technique. It is implemented by a specific rotation of the accelerator head while simultaneously modulating the beam intensity during rotation. Primarily, it allows for shorter irradiation duration compared to other available methods. In total (including VMAT H&N* and VMAT marker** fractions), over 1250 treatments were performed in 2021. This means that as many as 37% of all treatments performed at the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center utilized this method.

2) IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) is conformal radiotherapy with beam intensity modulation. It is particularly used to treat cancer tumors located close to critical organs (with limited radiation tolerance). Last year, 255 treatments were performed (including four IMRT H&N).

3) Brachytherapy (BTH) is a radiotherapy method that utilizes radiation sources placed directly into or adjacent to the tumor. This is done using special applicators placed in natural body cavities (vagina, bronchus, esophagus) or directly into the patient's tissues (breast, prostate). Brachytherapy, either as a standalone method or combined with external beam radiotherapy, is used to treat cancers such as skin, prostate, breast, female reproductive organs, lung, esophagus, and head and neck cancers. In 2021, the Amethyst Center performed a total of 434 brachytherapy treatments , with the majority being for prostate cancer (over 100) and female reproductive organs (over 200).

4) Stereotaxy – a form of conformal radiotherapy used to treat small tumors that cannot be surgically removed due to their location. This technique enables the delivery of a high dose of radiation in one (radiosurgery) or multiple fractions with surgical precision and effectiveness, while maximizing the protection of healthy tissue. In 2021, the Amethyst Center performed 93 such procedures, and in the first half of 2022, 25 more.

A significant differentiation between radiotherapy treatment methods is their division into two basic groups. The first is radical radiotherapy , used with curative intent and typically lasting 4 to 7 weeks. The second is symptomatic radiotherapy (also called palliative radiotherapy , intended to slow the progression of the disease and/or alleviate its symptoms), delivered in a more intensive manner over a period of one to several days.

In the above-mentioned 18-month period (January 2021 – June 2022), 581 single-fraction palliation procedures and 628 multi-fraction palliation procedures were performed at the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center.

It is worth emphasizing that about 100 people work at the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center in Krakow. This is a team of highly qualified specialists who have undergone a series of specialized training courses in Poland and abroad. The Krakow facility is currently the only non-public center offering postgraduate training for doctors. In 2021, the Center specialized in 5 doctors and 1 medical physicist.

"Considering that our team has been operating with a very similar number of employees for many years—including physicians (13), medical physicists (10), and radiotherapy technicians (19), the results regarding the number of procedures performed in 2021 should be considered at least very good. The first half of 2022 also indicates a continued high level of performance in terms of the number of procedures performed and medical consultations, " says Sylwia Kmak, Head of HR and Patient Representative at the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center in Krakow.

To illustrate the scale of operation of the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center in a nationwide context, it is worth recalling that ; “In 2021, 92.507 patients were treated with radiation in Poland - including 80.550 using teletherapy (86%) and 11.957 brachytherapy (14%). (…) Overall, in 2021, 1.223 (1%) more patients were recorded in radiotherapy centers across the country than in 2020, and this increase concerned only patients undergoing teletherapy - 1.696 (2%), while in brachytherapy there was a decrease in the number of patients by 473 ( -4%). These data reflect the undoubted impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, which in the first half of 2021 significantly limited the activities of the health service in our country in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer diseases."***

It should also be noted that: "Poland still differs from many European countries in terms of equipment in radiotherapy and radiosurgery technologies, including: France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Great Britain or the Netherlands and Sweden. The rate of use of radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer is approximately 10% lower than in the above-mentioned countries. There are still gaps in access to treatment in the country, geographically, quantitatively and qualitatively. (…) Most full-profile radiotherapy centers work in two shifts, which makes better use of their resources than similar centers in the EU.”****

* VMAT H&N – head and neck cancers
**VMAT tag** – implantation of gold or electromagnetic tags (prostate cancer)
***"Report on the state of radiotherapy in Poland as of December 31.12.2021, XNUMX"
****"Radiotherapy in Poland in the light of systemic changes - analysis and recommendations"