Express & Star

Cancer patients benefit from new equipment at Wolverhampton hospital

Cancer patients attending Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital will benefit from a ‘world class service’ thanks to two new pieces of radiotherapy equipment which complete a £17 million programme.

Published
Last updated
Andrea Athersmith, Advanced Practioner Radiographer and Katie Vaughan, Senior Therapy Radiographer

The Xstrahl unit is a low energy x-ray unit used to treat skin cancer and the HDR Brachytherapy unit or Flexitron is a radiotherapy machine that treats gynaecological cancers.

Both machines replaced older models.

Stephen West, head of radiotherapy at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: “I’m delighted these two machines complete the full replacement programme of all the equipment required to support a modern radiotherapy centre. We now have the tools in our armoury to fight cancer effectively.

“Both machines can treat advanced forms of cancer, and they will complete a six-year, full equipment replacement programme costing the trust over £17 million.

"This allows the trust to continue to give world class radiotherapy across the Black Country.

“This is specialist equipment, so patient numbers are not high, but the benefit to this select group is significant, such as effective pain relief.”

In addition, the patient experience is enhanced by much more pleasant, modern and tidy surroundings after the room where the Xstrahl unit sits was refurbished.

The HDR Brachytherapy unit or Flexitron is used predominately to treat the disease directly.

For cervical treatment, this is a very effective treatment when administering a high dose to a localised area, and has minimal side effects.

The team will be developing this equipment to treat cervical cancer, and hopes it can be advanced further to treat other cancer sites.

Stephen added: “These machines are developments of existing treatments that pre-date Millennium times.

“However, significant research has improved practices so teams know what causes the most harm to tumour cells, and how best to enable normal cell recovery.”

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.