This public hospital has a 'dazzling' cancer technology and it's not where you think
A "dazzling" new cancer technology that can halve radiation therapy treatments is now available for the first time to public hospital patients, but they will need to be in western NSW to receive it.
The Western Cancer Clinic in Dubbo is the first public hospital in Australia that offers a more dynamic and precise form of radiation therapy called RapidArc Dynamic (RAD).
More than 110 patients have been treated using RAD at the Western Cancer Centre so far.
University of NSW Professor of Radiation Oncology Geoff Delaney said RAD could slash the number of radiation treatments needed and halve the time patients spend being treated in hospital.
He said having the technology in Dubbo was a win for rural patients.
"There's lots of stories where country patients don't get the latest technology, and this is the reverse of that," he said.
Faster treatment
RAD uses a device called a collimator, which shapes the radiation beam to match the exact shape of the cancerous tumour.
It rotates around the patient as the beams are adjusted in real time.
RAD is a step up from RapidArc because it can pause at any point during treatment and deliver more precise dosing.
Acting chief radiation therapist for the Western NSW Local Health District, Catherine Osborne, said the precise dosage protects surrounding organs in cases like breast cancer.
"We're treating all breast tissue, but we don't want to give a radiation dose to the heart and lung, which cause long-term toxicities," she said.
Dr Osborne says radiation technology is continuously evolving and becoming more efficient. (ABC Western Plains: Lily Plass )
Dr Osbourne said medical centres across Australia were "moving very quickly to get RAD", but Dubbo was the first public hospital to do so.
"We have capacity to make our own strategic decision of what technologies we invest in and how we see benefits to our patients," she said.
"So this has really been driven from within."
Dr Osborne said spending even a few minutes less on the treatment bed could make a big difference for patients.
"The difference between three or four minutes and seven or eight minutes is a long time when you're on a hard bed every day, day after day and you're having to do things like fill your bladder or hold your breath," she said.
Big relief for patients
For patients who travel hundreds of kilometres for cancer treatments in Dubbo, having to spend less time in hospital is a relief.
After receiving a brain tumour diagnosis last year, Kevin Barrington from Coonabarabran was one of the first patients to access RAD.
RAD limits radiation to healthy organs. (ABC Western Plains: Lily Plass )
The 78-year-old's treatment time took seven weeks but did not require as much time on the table.
"Whereas it was a sort of half an hour thing a little while ago, I was in and out in about 15 minutes," he said.
"As a layman, it's just dazzling technology."
Learning with the best
The state-of-the-art technology is also a drawcard for university students.
Final-year radiation therapy student Thyda Rim has travelled up from Melbourne for all her placements.
"You would think that advanced technology like this you can only find in metro areas, but it's pretty cool that you can access it here in more remote communities," she said.
"I don't know where I'm going next, so having this opportunity to work with great technology was a plus for me."
Ms Rim came to Dubbo after hearing about the advanced technology and friendly staff. (ABC Western Plains: Lily Plass )
Dr Delaney said RAD is the future of radiation therapy for more providers nationwide.
"Radiotherapy is evolving over time, so you would expect even better improvements in the future."
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