News

Greenslopes marks 100 patients treated with Australian-first radiation therapy technology

Sep 15, 2020

Icon Cancer Centre in Greenslopes Private Hospital is now marking 100 patients treated with the latest in precision radiation – Varian’s HyperArc™ technology since introducing it in September 2018.

HyperArc™ utilises the features of the Varian machine that delivers radiation therapy (TrueBeam linear accelerator) to accurately deliver precise radiation therapy to multiple brain tumours with greater efficiency, speed, accuracy and patient comfort, while limiting doses to surrounding healthy brain tissue.

HyperArc can efficiently deliver treatment to multiple tumours in just a few minutes through one automated set-up. The process is completed in the safest way possible including a virtual dry run feature ensuring treatments can be quality checked and tested and setup times for patients reduced.

Icon Radiation Oncologist A/Prof Matthew Foote says this technology is helping patients with advanced cancer live far beyond 12 months and achieve a better quality of life.

“Previously, patients with metastatic cancer in the brain had very few options and faced longer and less precise treatment with potentially debilitating side effects. With HyperArc we can now deliver a high dose of radiation directly to up to 18 brain lesions at a time, something unheard of 10 years ago.”

“As people live longer with advanced cancer, we are unfortunately going to see more patients with secondary tumours in the brain. At Icon, we have a commitment that all patients, irrespective of where they live, should have access to the latest treatment that can have the potential to extend their lives and spend as much quality time as possible with those they love.”

Greenslopes Private Hospital CEO, Chris Went, said Icon Cancer Centre’s milestone further reinforced Greenslopes Private Hospital’s reputation as a provider of high-quality cancer services delivered in a safe and comfortable environment.

“We are dedicated to caring for our patients through every step of their cancer journey – from diagnosis to treatment and beyond. We believe it is important for health care providers to continually invest in new technologies to achieve the best possible patient outcomes. The addition of Varian’s HyperArc technology through Icon Cancer Centre Greenslopes ensures our patients can access the latest radiation therapy treatments within our hospital.”