Radiation therapy is a vital part of the medical arsenal for fighting certain types of cancer, either on its own or in combination with chemotherapy and surgery.
“Investing in state-of-the-art equipment designed for clinical precision while simultaneously improving the patient experience is crucial to safety and cancer outcomes and is invaluable for people requiring such treatment,” says Dr Cindy Aitton, General Manager of Netcare Cancer Care.
“The recent upgrade of the radiation therapy unit at Netcare Unitas Hospital is one such example that is changing the experience of cancer treatment patients with quicker sessions and a more comfortable, highly precise delivery system,” she says.
| Pic: Mrs Isabella Pretorius (centre) is pictured with her husband Sarel and the Netcare Unitas Hospital radiation therapy unit manager Alicia Willemse, physicist Olga Nengovhela, and radiation therapists Marlene Coetzee, Sindisiwe Ngwenya, Emma Hill, Marianne Ambrose and Siphesihle Sibiya |
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“Cancer care has come a long way just in the last decade, and the experience of radiation therapy is transforming with highly personalised treatment plans that aim to be as convenient and as possible.”
The new Varian Halcyon linear accelerator, recently installed at Netcare Unitas Hospital’s radiation therapy unit, is one such example, where treatment takes up very little time and removes many of the anxieties previously associated with treatment sessions for patients.
The introduction of this state-of-the-art radiation equipment, which can be used for Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy [VMAT] and stereotactic radiosurgery to treat tumours anywhere in the body, is a welcome development for eligible patients and referring healthcare professionals in the Centurion area, and from further afield.
“The energy-efficient and water-cooled system includes a next generation dual-layer multi-leaf collimator. The sophisticated system can pinpoint the dose of radiation exactly where it is needed providing greater control over both the shape of the radiation field and the amount of dose that is delivered within the treatment area,” explains Olga Nengovhela, the medical physicist at the Netcare Unitas Radiation Therapy unit.
“Therefore, the tumour or lesion can be precisely targeted, even if it is of irregular shape while sparing healthy surrounding tissue,” she says.
Clinical oncologist, Dr Sheynaz Bassa, adds that this is particularly advantageous when treating small tumours with radiosurgery, such as in the brain, ¬where high treatment doses act as a non-surgical approach for shrinking tumours in hard to reach areas while sparing nearby healthy critical structures.
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“In most instances, even complex treatments can be delivered in under 10 minutes with this revolutionary new system. The on-board imaging enables us to confirm that treatments will be delivered exactly each time, limiting the dose to healthy tissue in the vicinity while delivering potent radiotherapy treatments with surgical precision.”
Netcare Unitas Hospital’s radiation unit manager, Alicia Willemse, says the system aligns with the unit’s person centred approach to care, so oncologists have more time to focus on other aspects of their patients’ care.
“The design of the linear accelerator is spacious and quiet, with ambient lighting for a tranquil treatment setting. The treatment sofa is positioned low for ease of access,” she says.
“Supported within the holistic, multidisciplinary cancer care framework, our first patients have already experienced the benefits of quicker positioning, imaging and shorter treatment times, helping to make sessions more convenient and less time consuming for our patients, many of whom are working or have family commitments,” Willemse says.
The first person to be treated with the new radiation therapy delivery system, Mrs Isabella Pretorius, 85, was diagnosed with cancer two and a half years ago, and she recently completed a cycle of 10 sessions with the new Halcyon system.
“At the moment I am the only person at the hospital who is being treated for this rare, aggressive type of cancer. When I started radiation therapy, I did not know what to expect, however my clinical and radiation oncologist, Dr DN Chetty, and the radiotherapy staff have been very kind to me and I knew from the beginning I was in good hands,” Mrs Pretorius says.
“Radiation therapy makes me very tired, but fortunately I have had no pain. The new radiation equipment makes the treatment sessions shorter, and it is much quieter than the previous machine. Usually, it takes less than a quarter of an hour, depending on how many other patients are ahead of me. For my treatment, I have to wear a mask and so I prefer to have it over quickly, and then I can go home and rest.
“The radiation therapy team and staff were very capable and friendly, and they really put me at ease talking to me while I was on the treatment couch,” Mrs Pretorius says.
“It is important to us that patients do not experience any unnecessary delays and that their time is respected, and all these factors contribute to a more positive treatment journey that puts the person first in all aspects holistically,” Willemse says.
“In addition to the clinical capabilities of the equipment, it is noteworthy that the design won the 2023 Green Innovation Award for energy efficiency.”
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Notes to editor
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Issued by: MNA on behalf of Netcare Unitas Hospital
For media enquiries contact: Martina Nicholson, Meggan Saville,
Estene Lotriet-Vorster and Clementine Forsthofer
Telephone: (011) 469 3016
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