Next-generation radiotherapy machine to speed up cancer treatment
Cancer patients are set to receive faster and more targeted treatment as upgrades to radiotherapy machines at Southend University Hospital continue, helping to reduce waiting times.
As part of a project to replace older radiotherapy equipment, the second of two new state-of-the-art machines will offer the next generation of radiotherapy treatment to Essex cancer patients.
This latest radiotherapy machine will start treating its first patients at the end of this month.
It was funded by NHS England as part of its strategy to update radiotherapy equipment in England, and cost £2.4m - making it a significant investment in cancer services for people in mid and south Essex.
Nicky Whilde, Head of Radiotherapy Physics at the Trust, said: “This second new machine has a fantastic and novel way of imaging, meaning scans are taken in just six seconds and are of super high quality. This helps visualise the more difficult to see tumours when treating patients. We’ve been busy measuring data and training our staff, and I’m pleased to say we’ll be introducing it to patients at the end of the month.”
The radiotherapy team at the Trust provides around 23,000 treatments a year to patients across Essex. With this new machine upgrade, the team hopes to see that number increase, helping to cut waiting lists for cancer treatments.
Sarah Walsh, Radiotherapy Service Manager, said: “The machine is a Varian linear accelerator, more commonly known as LINAC for short, and carefully aims beams of radiation at cancerous areas to kill cancer cells. With better imaging quality than previous machines, patients get targeted radiotherapy treatment with greater precision than ever before. This is done with the latest software and technology.”
The newly upgraded LINAC joins three other machines in use at Southend Hospital, which is the Essex cancer centre for the Trust, and works by using beams of high-energy x-rays or electrons. It gives focused radiation treatments to target and destroy cancer cells in nearly all types of cancer, anywhere in the body.