Radiation therapy patients to benefit from advances in technology

July 27, 2009

New developments in the delivery of radiation therapy will see more precise treatment to more effectively kill cancer cells with fewer side effects for patients, according to radiation oncologist Dr Raphael Chee.

Dr Chee has returned from Melbourne to establish innovative radiation therapy techniques, known as Image Guidance, and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) at Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital, which is one of the busiest centres for radiation therapy in Australia.

Dr Chee will give a free public lecture in Perth on July 27 to discuss the progress being made in radiation therapy as part of the annual Cancer Council Update series.

Radiation therapy is an important part of anti-cancer treatment that uses powerful x-rays to damage and kill cancer cells and involves collaboration between physics, engineering and medical experts.

It is estimated that 50% (or 5000) of WA's 10,000 new cancer patients each year would benefit in some way from radiotherapy.

Image guidance is a procedure that locates the target (for treatment) more precisely than has previously been possible while IMRT allows the radiation therapy to be delivered around critical organs and in smoother doses, making it easier for patients to tolerate.

 “This type of procedure allows us to deliver more effective doses of treatment with the added benefit of minimising the risk of causing permanent side effects to parts of the body that are not affected by the cancer,” said Dr Chee.

“At present with some patients we can use radiation therapy to kill their cancer cells but some may end up with long term side effects such as a loss of taste, which can be experienced by some head and neck cancer patients.”

Dr Chee said the aim of all these technological advances was to minimise these long term side effects in order to help ensure a patient’s quality of life didn’t suffer as a result of their cancer treatment.

There is presently only one unit capable of delivering IMRT in WA.       
                                    
“In the near future, with more expertly trained staff, we anticipate all machines will have the capacity to implement IMRT and Image Guidance Radiation Therapy  procedures in WA,” said Dr Chee.

Dr Chee’s lecture will cover how radiation therapy has developed over time and he will also explain how advances in radiation therapy parallel developments in computing technology.

For further information on radiation therapy or the Cancer Council Update series call the Cancer Council Helpine 13 11 20.