The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has treated its first patient on a brand-new linear accelerator (or ‘linac’) radiotherapy treatment machine that provides enhanced imaging and a more comfortable experience for patients.
Dave Winship from St Helens was the very first patient to be treated on the new machine when he arrived for his radiotherapy at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool (CCC-Liverpool) on 2 March 2026.
The new Varian Halcyon linac with HyperSight technology is the second of its kind in The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s fleet of 10 highly-advanced radiotherapy treatment machines across its Aintree, Liverpool and Wirral sites. The first Halcyon with HyperSight began treating patients this time last year.
Unlike traditional linacs, which deliver treatment through a C-shaped arm that rotates around the patient, the Varian Halcyon uses an O-shaped ring that is much quieter. It also looks very like the scanners that patients will already be familiar with, helping to reduce anxiety when they first come for treatment.
The HyperSight technology provides vastly enhanced imaging compared with traditional linacs. Image quality is comparable to a CT planning scanner. This means clinical teams can use the linac imaging to adjust people’s treatment plans when needed, without patients having to have an additional CT planning scan.
The advanced HyperSight system means that extended scans – which gather images over a longer length of a patient’s body and are vital when treating certain cancer types – can be completed quicker and more easily than on a traditional linac. This makes it more comfortable and convenient for patients.
The new linac also offers surface-guided radiotherapy, funded by Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, reducing the need for the tiny tattoo dots that help clinical teams to ensure the treatment beam is precisely targeting cancer while minimising any risk to surrounding tissue.
Radiotherapy Treatment Expert Practitioner Rachael O’Sullivan said:
We are excited to have our second Halcyon linac with surface guided radiotherapy at Clatterbridge, enabling us to treat more patients within each working day due to the faster HyperSight technology.
Martyn Gilmore, Lead Consultant Clinical Scientist for Radiotherapy at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said:
We are always looking at how we can ensure patients benefit from the very latest advances in technology when they come to The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. Having a second Halcyon linac with Hypersight further enhances our ability to deliver the very best care, and means even more patients can benefit.
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is one of the UK’s leading and largest radiotherapy providers, delivering over 90,000 treatment fractions a year – more than almost any other hospital nationally.
