The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has treated its first patient on a new type of radiotherapy machine with the potential to transform the way treatment is delivered.
Clatterbridge is one of the only hospitals in the UK to have a Varian Halcyon linear accelerator (or ‘linac’) with Hypersight technology that significantly enhances imaging quality and a shape that reduces noise and provides a more comfortable experience for patients.
Retired marine engineer John Gavin, 80, from Woolton in Liverpool, was the first patient to be treated on the new linac when it went into clinical service on Monday 31st March.
John was diagnosed with prostate cancer after going to his GP when he noticed blood in his pee and is now having radiotherapy at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool as part of his treatment.
“I feel a bit like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong going into space knowing I was the first person to be treated on this machine,” said John. “The treatment wasn’t intrusive at all and I was quite surprised that the machine didn’t make any noise at all.”
Improving patient experience
The new Halcyon linac is much quieter than a traditional radiotherapy treatment machine. Most linacs deliver the radiation treatment through a C-shaped arm that rotates around the patient, which can be very noisy. The Halcyon linac gives treatment through an O-shaped ring that is very quiet.
The shape makes it look and feel very similar to a CT scanner – something patients will already be very familiar with – so the whole treatment experience is smoother, quieter and less intimidating.
Gamechanging imaging technology
The second major difference from other linacs is the gamechanging Hypersight technology, which could transform the way radiotherapy is planned and delivered in future, as well as offering lots of research opportunities.
Hypersight uses a new type of conebeam CT (CBCT) detector to deliver really enhanced imaging that is much better than on a standard linac. In fact, the images are so good they are comparable with a planning CT scanner.
It means clinical teams can use the images to adjust treatment plans, potentially saving patients from having an additional planning scan. This could reduce the delays that can happen when patients’ treatment plans need to be changed. It will also release CT scanning capacity at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool.
The fact The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is one of the first NHS hospitals to have a Halcyon linac with Hypersight means that there is also a lot of potential for research studies, as well as the overall benefits for patient experience.
Surface-guided radiotherapy
The new linac is also equipped with surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT), which uses 3-D imaging to make sure patients are in the correct position for treatment. It reduces the need for patients to have tiny ink tattoo dots to help clinical teams check the radiation beam is targeting the cancer with pinpoint accuracy. The surface-guided radiotherapy technology has been funded by the NIHR Capital Investment Fund and Clatterbridge Cancer Charity.
Extensive fleet of radiotherapy linacs
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is one of the UK’s leading and largest radiotherapy providers, delivering almost 90,000 treatment fractions a year – more than almost any other hospital nationally.
The new Halcyon will become an integral part of its extensive fleet of highly-advanced linacs across the three Clatterbridge Cancer Centres in Aintree, Liverpool and Wirral and has replaced an older machine that is now being retired.
Although the Halcyon has many advanced features, it isn’t quite as flexible as the Varian Truebeams that comprise most of the hospital’s linac fleet so won’t be suitable for all patients, especially initially. Despite this, it is a hugely exciting development for patient care and research.
Radiotherapy Treatment Expert Practitioner Rachael O’Sullivan said:
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is renowned as a leading centre for radiotherapy and we are always looking at how we can further enhance the care we provide so patients benefit from the very latest advances in technology.
It’s fantastic to see our new Halcyon with Hypersight in service and benefiting patients like John during their radiotherapy here and helping us to provide the best possible treatment experience to all of our patients.
Martyn Gilmore, Lead Consultant Clinical Scientist for Radiotherapy, said:
The advances that the Hypersight imaging system brings will allow us to better visualise treatments and further improve patient care. We are also very excited about the research potential it offers.
The new linac arrived at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool in January. The hospital’s Physics and Radiotherapy teams have spent the last two months commissioning, testing and preparing it for clinical use.
- Watch a short video of the linac arriving in January.
