New radiotherapy treatment successfully used on lung cancer patient at QA Hospital

Clinical oncologists at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham performed stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) radiation treatment for early-stage lung cancer.

SABR is a focused radiation treatment that gives an intense dose of radiation concentrated on to the cancerous region – minimising damage to surrounding organs and reducing side effects.

It uses multiple smaller, thin beams of radiation and limits the dose to the surrounding organs.

Dr Yoodhvir Nagar, consultant clinical oncologist at QA, said: ‘We’re extremely proud to become one of the national centres in the UK to provide this exciting new treatment.

‘Our teams have worked tirelessly to provide this and always put patient care first.’

SABR is delivered in fewer sessions compared to conventional radiotherapy treatment and is an alternative to surgery for patients who are not fit or do not want surgery for early-stage lung cancer.

The first patient to receive this treatment at QA said: ‘It was an absolute relief to receive SABR. Years ago, it was a completely unknown treatment so I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to receive it.

‘The conventional treatment would have been too evasive and aggressive due to my COPD. I would have had to travel up to Guildford every other day to receive SABR and it would have been a massive disruption to my life.

‘Having the treatment at QA was far more convenient and reduced a lot of my stress.

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‘The staff at QA have been absolutely amazing. They are always respectful and keep me informed. The treatment means a lot to me and I know it will mean a lot to many other people.’

The oncology and medical physics teams at QA are set to expand the usage of SABR treatment to other secondary cancers in the coming months.

Dr Nagar added: ‘The teams have worked extremely hard to make this possible and we will continue to ensure our patients receive the best care possible.’

SABR can also be used on cancers that have spread to another part of the body, such as the liver, lymph nodes or spine, and a type of cancer that started in the liver called hepatocellular carcinoma.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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