Pioneering radiotherapy treatment to benefit more patients

Monday 15 June 2015


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Cancer patients at Guy’s and St Thomas’ will be among the first to access an innovative radiotherapy treatment as part of a national programme announced today (Monday 15 June).

NHS England is investing £15 million over three years to assess the use of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), a more precise dose of radiation which causes less damage to surrounding healthy tissue than conventional radiotherapy. 

Up to 750 patients a year will be treated using SABR in 17 centres nationwide. The NHS England programme focuses on three different types of cancer. Guy’s and St Thomas’ will treat at least 75 patients a year.

SABR is already used at Guy’s and St Thomas’ to treat patients with a certain type of lung cancer. Now patients with cancer that has spread to another part of the body, primary liver tumours, and the re-irradiation of cancers in the pelvis and spine, will be treated with the pioneering technique.

Angela Francis, head of radiotherapy at Guy’s and St Thomas’, says: “Opening up our established SABR programme to a wider range of patients is a great step forward in treating these three types of cancer.  

“We’re hopeful that the SABR treatment will successfully treat these cancers, enabling our patients to live longer, healthier lives.”

Dr Majid Kazmi, clinical director of cancer services at Guy’s and St Thomas’, says: “Our ability to treat three more types of cancer with the SABR technique is testament to the skills, expertise, and dedication of our staff to provide the best possible care to our patients.

“It’s fantastic that we will be providing the most cutting edge cancer treatment in advance of the opening of the new Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital in 2016.”

Patients eligible to take part in the programme will be spoken to by their consultant.

Last updated: March 2022

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