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The Royal Surrey Hospital is at the forefront of radiotherapy technology with a well established linear accelerator programme. £7 million is currently being spent upgrading machines in St Luke’s Cancer Centre which are capable of utilising the latest intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and the even more advanced image guided radiotherapy (IGRT). These techniques allow radiographers to deliver more precisely shaped doses of radiation to kill tumour cells with increasingly minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Image Guided radiotherapy is a technique which enables very precise doses of targeted radiation to be delivered to tumour sections with a degree of accuracy higher than ever before. This extreme accuracy is achieved either by implanting gold seed markers into the prostate or by 3D CT scanning called ‘Cone-Beam Scanning’.
This is particularly good news for prostate cancer patients.
Radiotherapy has always been an effective treatment for prostate cancer but because the prostate is so close to other sensitive organs there is always a risk of side effects. In addition, the proximity to the rectum means that there is always a danger of the gland moving, either immediately before or during treatment, and the powerful beam striking highly sensitive tissue or even missing the tumour. Side effects when this happens can be painful and serious so the much more accurate targeting that IGRT allows is a major breakthrough for prostate cancer patients.
However, there’s a problem. Until the technique has been fully evaluated it cannot be incorporated into routine clinical practice and the full capabilities of the new Linacs cannot be used. Evaluation trials are likely to take 2 years and cost £100,000. This money is not available from within the NHS.
Prostate Project spokesman Tim Sharp said “it really is unacceptable that prostate cancer patients should be denied the full benefits of this new technology. The NHS is prepared to spend £7 million upgrading these amazing machines but not £100,000 to make full use of them for prostate cancer patients. We plan to lobby many of our supporters to help raise this money, particularly local hospitals that will refer patients to St Luke’s Radiotherapy unit. Our problem is time. We need to start the evaluation programme immediately so if necessary, we will make up any shortfall from the Charity’s reserves”.
Teresa Guerrero-Urbano, Consultant Oncologist at St Luke’s who is leading the trials project said, “We are thrilled to have the Prostate Project leading our IGRT fund raising initiative. This money is absolutely vital to us. Without it, we will just fall behind in our drive to bring prostate cancer patients the very best radiotherapy treatment that is available”. absolutely vital to us. Without it, we will just fall behind in our drive to bring prostate cancer patients the very best radiotherapy treatment that is available”.
Registered Charity No. 1078523