Institut Claudius Regaud

Numerous skills are required to ensure our patients receive top quality care. Treatments can be performed on their own or in combination with other treatments. Treatment is often given in an outpatient department or a day hospital.

Surgery

Surgery is often the first part of a diagnostic or treatment. Surgery is constantly being improved to provide even more efficient procedures. Improved surgical procedures reduce the need for conservative surgery, reconstructive surgery or laporoscopic surgery. Pre-operative chemotherapy and radiotherapy are innovative techniques. The Institute's operating rooms have been modernised through the introduction of new computing and communication techniques. Surgeons then use telemedicine to communicated with other surgeons all over the world.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy has been used for over a century and is an essential treatment procedure. It is carried out independantly or in conjunction with other treatments (surgery or chemotherapy). Over the years it has benefitted from the rapid development of imaging techniques and computing advances. Treatment is split into different sessions and is generally carried out in an outpatient department or day hospital. The Institute has one of the first French technical floors complete with a tomotherapy device.

Brachytherapy

Bracytherapy involves radiation sources being placed next to or inside tumours. Certain prostrate cancer treatments involve patients being put under anaesthetic so that 125 iodine seeds can be placed as close as possible to diseased cells.

Tomotherapy

Used in certain situations, this technique represents one of the most recent advances in radiotherapy treatment. Tomotherapy devices carry out various procedures including:

• Scans to check the patient's position before each treatment session and to monitor changes in tumours between sessions.
• The treatment of complex tumours through the use of beams produced by the accelerator The beam can be adapted to the size of the tumour being treated.

Internal radiotherapy

Internal radiotherapy involves radiopharmaceutical medication which is administered using an IV or taken orally. This medication then bonds with tumours that require treatment. Patients are hospitalised in special purpose built rooms during which time scans are regularly taken. The effectiveness of the treatment is assessed using these scans.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer involving drugs that act on cancerous cells by destroying them or by preventing them from spreading. Drugs used today are highly effective have better toxicity and are more strictly controlled. It can be the first treatment used or can be used in conjunction with surgery or radiotherapy. This is known as preventative or adjuvant chemotherapy. The choice of drugs as well as the way they are administered depends on several key factors related to the type of tumour that requires treatment. The frequency of drug administration and the duration of the treatment are defined in a protocol chosen by the doctor. Treatment cycles alternate with rest cycles. Sometimes it is possible to continue working throughout treatment.

Supportive care

In addition to medical treatment, these types of treatments are aimed at providing you with a comprehensive treatment program involving all kinds of care to improve your quality of life. At the Institute, professionals will provide advice and help before, during and after treatment in the following fields:

• Dietary and nutritional management
• Pain treatment
• Social support and administrative procedures
• Psycho-oncology
• Speech therapy
• Massage-physiotherapy
• Relaxation therapy
• Stomatology
• Stomatherapy
• Cosmetic treatments

The Institute also has a balneotherapy room.