The next generation of radiation therapy technology has arrived for western suburbs cancer patients.
Radiation Oncology Victoria’s new TrueBeam linear accelerator at the Western Private Hospital in Footscray is the first of its type in the west. It improves treatment options for all cancer types, allowing more accurate pinpointing of tumour locations.
Radiation oncologist Mario Guerrieri said radiation beams could be shaped more accurately, speeding up treatment time and greatly reducing side effects by avoiding non-cancerous cells.
“This new machine really changes the way
we can treat cancer in so many ways,” Dr Guerrieri said.
“Not only can we offer breast radiotherapy that significantly reduces any potential cardiac irradiation but we can also pinpoint and treat cancer at the earliest stages of spread with stereotactic radiotherapy.”
Williamstown cancer patient Kate Marquard, the first to be treated on the TrueBeam, said she was pleased a state-of-the-art machine was finally available in the west.
“Anything that shortens treatment time and improves patient outcomes is a plus,” she said.
Benjamin Millar
