Background
Stereotactic radiotherapy is one of the most up to date radiotherapy techniques for treating cancers. It is unique in that it delivers high doses of radiation to the tumour with great accuracy, destroying cancer cells but, sparing surrounding normal healthy tissue and reducing side effects.
This technique can be used for many different cancer sites from lung cancers, as an alternative to the surgeon’s knife, or areas where the cancer has spread to in a variety of sites around the body. Its potential to cure metastatic tumour spread has given hope to patients that have traditionally only ever been treated with palliative therapies.
Velindre Cancer Centre has made great strides in developing a stereotactic service and has already made progress in treating lung and liver cancers, tumours of the brain and benign tumours of the skull base. Historically all patients with benign skull base tumours were sent to cancer centres over the boarder but now over the last year we can treat them successfully back here in Velindre Cancer Centre.
However much work is needed as we know this technique can be used in many more cancer sites and with the enthusiasm and knowledge that the staff of Velindre Cancer Centre prides themselves on, we hope to bring this technique to many more patients in Wales.
Could you benefit from Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy?
There are many strict criteria for such treatment as there are risks and side effects associated with its use. Every patient being considered for this treatment undergoes extensive discussions, planning and monitoring through a big team of specialists to ensure only the correct patients are selected and the treatment is of a high standard delivered in a safe and effective way. Please don’t hesitate to discuss stereotactic radiotherapy with your Oncologist if you think you could be suitable.