Advanced technologies transforming cancer care - AI to enable greater precision in radiation therapy - Experts discuss emerging technologies at medical physicists’ conference - professor M. Kumar (VC Osmania university)attends as chief guest

Advanced technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and medical physics are playing an increasingly important role in cancer care, experts said at a two-day conference organised by the Department of Radiation Oncology, KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad.

The annual conference of the Association of Medical Physicists of India (AMPI) – Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chapter, being held on September 26 and 27 under the leadership of Dr. T. Pratap Reddy, Head, Department of Radiation Oncology, KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad, brought together medical physicists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, technical experts and healthcare technology professionals from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Professor M. Kumar Vice Chancellor of Osmania University attended the conference as the chief guest. Addressing the gathering,  emphasised the importance of integrating advanced physics, artificial intelligence and public health infrastructure to build more accessible and precision-driven healthcare systems.

Mr. Kumar  said digital technologies would play an increasingly important role in the future of cancer treatment and advanced medical diagnostics. Strengthening digital healthcare infrastructure would help make modern medical services more accessible to people, he said.

The conference provided a platform for medical physicists from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to discuss developments in radiation dosimetry, nuclear medicine, radiation safety and advanced cancer treatment techniques. Experts also deliberated on accurate radiation dose delivery, patient safety and the effective integration of emerging technologies into cancer care.

Dr. B. Bhaskar Rao, CMD, KIMS Group of Hospitals, said KIMS had advanced technological infrastructure and a team of specialists to provide comprehensive treatment for different types of cancer. He said the KIMS Group was expanding its capabilities with the objective of setting benchmarks in advanced and affordable healthcare in India.

He urged medical physicists to continuously update their knowledge and familiarise themselves with emerging technologies, including generative AI, in diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology. The integration of technology with clinical expertise, he said, could further improve precision and efficiency in cancer treatment.

Prof. M. Kumar Molugaram, Vice-Chancellor, Osmania University, said the Department of Radiation Oncology at KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad, was a recognised research centre of Osmania University. He said the university had an MoU with KIMS for conducting a Post-M.Sc. Diploma course in Medical Physics.

Prof. Molugaram said Osmania University would extend its support for future training and research programmes aimed at strengthening the skills and knowledge of medical physicists.

The conference was attended by Dr. Sambit Sahu, Medical Director, KIMS Hospitals; Dr. K. Krishna Murthy, Chief Medical Physicist and RSO; and Dr. PBLD Prasad, Senior Medical Physicist, besides medical physicists, radiation oncologists and other healthcare professionals.