Stereotactic brain radiotherapy service arrives at St Luke’s

Therapy radiographer Kayleigh Lett-Logue, senior planner Sandra Dymond, stereotactic physicist Clara Navarro, radiotherapy services manager Adrian Flynn, clinical oncologist Dr Richard Shaffer, consultant intracranial radiographer Laura Turner and head of radiotherapy dosimetry Chris South.

Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt visited St Luke’s Cancer Centre to officially launch an intracranial stereotactic radiotherapy service.  He was joined by staff, patients and dignitaries for a special ceremony at the centre, part of Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The introduction of the technique was made possible through £1 million fundraising to help purchase a TrueBeam STx from Varian Medical Systems equipped with Brainlab’s Novalis Radiosurgery program, which work by precisely aiming radiotherapy beams at the tumour from many directions around the patent’s head.

Consultant oncologist Dr Richard Shaffer said: “The first group of patients that we are treating are those with secondary brain tumours.  These are tumours that have developed after cancerous cells have spread from elsewhere in the body.  The technique has been found to increase the survival and tumour control for these patients.”

Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP added: “Equipment like this is invaluable and already proving its worth for patients suffering from inoperable brain tumours.  We should be very proud of the services offered to patients here at the Royal Surrey and especially the fantastic staff who do some amazing work.”

See the full report on page 1 of the February 2016 issue of RAD Magazine.