Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital has achieved a significant medical milestone by successfully treating a head and neck cancer patient using a unique combination of Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT) and adaptive radiotherapy for the first time in India. This breakthrough technique allowed doctors to deliver precision radiation therapy without a tight immobilisation mask or a simulation CT scan.

According to doctors, the patient, a male in his mid-50s with a history of mouth cancer, reported to the hospital's emergency department with excessive, continuous bleeding from a massively enlarged tumour, following previous surgery and radiotherapy treatments that had proved unsuccessful. Given the patient's poor general condition, medical teams prioritised his stabilisation before initiating further treatment .While conventional radiotherapy for head and neck cancers relies on tight plastic immobilisation masks and simulation CT scans to prevent patient movement, doctors realised that the critical patient would be unable to tolerate that rigorous process. To administer the necessary radiation to stop the life-threatening bleeding and provide comfort, the hospital successfully deployed this advanced technology.

Following the clinical intervention, the patient responded well to the treatment, leading to his discharge on May 13, 2026. Dr Prasad Raj Dandekar, Head of Radiation Oncology at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, stated that the technique makes treatment more precise and effective, thereby improving patient outcomes. He further emphasised that this Simulation Free Radiotherapy (SFRT) protocol will help an increasing number of cancer patients access quick, targeted care. "Precision and speed both are important in the treatment of cancer patients, especially in patients who have advanced-stage cancer and have a lot of pain, bleeding or other symptoms. Radiotherapy, where high-energy X-rays are used, plays an important role in treating these patients."

"Latest treatment techniques of Simulation Free Radiotherapy (SFRT), pioneered by Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, will make radiotherapy available to patients much faster than conventional methods. This technique also makes treatment more precise and effective, thus improving the outcomes for the patient. SFRT will help to help more and more cancer patients get quick and precise cancer care," explained Dr Prasad.

Published on June 1, 2026