Cutting edge treatment for cancer patients

CANCER patients being treated In Leicester will be among the first in the country to benefit from the rollout of new radiotherapy machines.

Funded by NHS England as part of the largest upgrade programme in 15 years, a new True Beam Linear Accelerator (Linac) has been launched at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

The Linac uses high energy X-rays for the treatment of patients with cancers such as breast, prostate, lung and colorectal.

About 40% of patients with cancer receive radiotherapy as part of their treatment and depending on the treatment site and intent, the length of a patient’s treatment course may vary from a single session to more than six weeks.

The LRI oncology department receives more than 2,300 new referrals for radiotherapy each year with about 33,000 annual attendances and the team treating between 120 and 155 patients each day using four Linac machines.

Lorraine Williams, head of radiotherapy at University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust said the new machine not only offered cutting edge technology but also broadened treatment options.

Funds from Macmillan Cancer Support for specialist posts and equipment have allowed the unit to implement an advanced technique for left sided breast cancer known as deep inspiration breath hold treatment. This will now be available to all patients.

During DIBH patients are asked to hold their breath for up to 20 seconds. This action lifts the breast away from the heart so reducing the long-term impact of radiotherapy emissions on the organ.