CAMAGÜEY - The modernization of the equipment for the radiotherapy service in the Oncological Hospital Marie Curie in the province of Camagüey, undertaken more than a year ago, has allowed considerably reducing the waiting time of patients to access to such treatment.

There were very tense moments, where the operability of single cobalt equipment for radiation at any location of the malignant tumors, determined that the waiting list reachs up a year and a half, referred to the Cuban News Agency (ACN), Humberto González Duarte, director of the institution.

Currently, with other equipment recently installed, it takes about a month for the appointment for the uptake, the diagnosis and indication of the therapy, and the beginning of it.

It is a period of time the hospital staff is not satisfied with, besides the fact that not only people from Camagüey are attended here, but also patients from Ciego de Ávila and Las Tunas. The diagnosis and the early approach of cancer are vital to provide better prognosis of evolution, said Dr. González.

We aim to continue to reduce that waiting framework, with the next implementation of equipment for brachytherapy - to administer radiation in cavities as the female reproductive system-, and to other superficial therapy for locations like skin, he added.

Both equipments are already installed and they received the license for operation from the National Center for Nuclear Safety, so in a few weeks they should be working at full capacity, after the training of personnel who will work with them, specified the steering.

According to data provided by the Department of Statistics of the hospital to the ACN, more than 4800 patients were attended with radiotherapy service in 2017; meanwhile, up to date almost 4300 are being attended. That is why it is expected to grow this year.

Thanks to a national program to improve the technology in favor of the diagnosis and early treatment of cancer, the hospital has been also benefited with the renovation of the clinical laboratory and the one for pathological anatomy and the installation of a CT scanner and a mammography machine.

Although malignant tumors are the second cause of death in Cuba, in the case of the province of Camagüey they are at the top, with lung, breast and prostate as the most aggressive ones.