New state-of-the-art cancer machine at the Churchill Hospital will help Banbury patients

The machine uses many precisely targeted radiation beams to treat tumours in the brain and other cancers.

The Oxford University Hospitals Trust (OUH) announced installation of the equipment today (Tuesday).

The technical description is a Varian TrueBeam Linear Accelerator (linac) with HyperArc capability (a new technique that allows the radiotherapy team to treat patients with brain tumours faster and more efficiently). It is a specialised Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) machine.

This equipment will also provide treatment for people living with a range of cancers who are under the care of specialists at OUH’s Oncology and Haematology Centre in Oxford, a regional centre of excellence for cancer care. The Churchill is one of a handful of NHS centres in England that delivers this highly specialised treatment.

SRS is more complex than standard radiotherapy and its pinpoint targeting destroys the tumour while protecting the surrounding healthy brain tissues.

Clinical Scientists specialising in Radiotherapy Physics played a major role in installing the new linac, each taking around four months to commission in order to make them ready for use. Radiotherapy Clinical Technologists and Clinical Scientists use the latest software to plan individualised cancer treatment and to ensure that those plans are safe to deliver to patients.

OUH specialist engineers work with the manufacturers to maintain the machines and repair any faults to keep them in safe working order. Clinical Scientists in Medical Physics also contribute by testing the imaging equipment and ensuring staff and the public are kept safe, by performing radiation shielding tests and calculations in line with UK radiation protection legislation.

OUH has a team of around 45 Radiotherapy Physicists, Engineers and Technologists who work together with Clinicians and Radiographers to ensure high quality, safe radiotherapy is delivered to around 3,700 patients per year while also implementing new technology and conducting research to improve outcomes for cancer patients.

Ketan Shah, Consultant Oncologist and Head of Radiotherapy at Oxford University Hospitals, said: “This new linac is a significant advancement in technology and capability for OUH. It has taken four months to set up, test and retest all the capabilities of this remarkable piece of clinical engineering – a process we call commissioning.

"Our excellent SRS service has built a national reputation and continues to grow and innovate. I am very proud to lead our scientific, radiographer and clinical radiotherapy teams and see their collaborative efforts culminate in this new system for the benefit of our patients.”

Carol Scott, Lead Therapeutic Radiographer at Oxford University Hospitals, said: “To date, almost 1,000 patients have received stereotactic radiotherapy to the brain and base of skull at OUH. We are delighted that this new equipment will result in quicker and more comfortable stereotactic radiotherapy treatments for patients, whilst ensuring highly accurate sub-millimetre precision. In turn this will increase our capacity to treat more patients who can benefit from this treatment.”

Jonathan Lane, Head of Radiotherapy Physics at Oxford University Hospitals, said: “Our scientific workforce is key in implementing new technology and optimising patient treatment to obtain the best possible outcomes. SRS is particularly complex and requires a deep understanding of radiation physics and very specialist skills to ensure treatment is safe and effective.”