Indigenous development of integrated medical Linac system for cancer therapy - Jai Vigyan programme

6 MV integrated medical LINAC system was developed for cancer therapy jointly by CSIR-CSIO Chandigarh and SAMEER Mumbai under the Jai Vigyan Programme of the Government of India. Six machines were originally planned to be commissioned in six cancer hospitals in the country. Two machines, namely SIDDARTH I and SIDDARTH II, have already been developed and deployed at MGIMS, Sevagram, Wardha (Maharashtra) and at Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar, Chennai. These machines are working satisfactorily since their installation. Four more machines namely SIDDARTH III-IV, are underway which will be commissioned in four national cancer institutes by the end of next year. This paper describes in brief the scientific principles of LINAC machines and technological challenges involved in the design and development of such a system of multi-disciplinary activities. (author)