The Radiation Oncology Centre at Cork University Hospital (CUH) has received an award for becoming a ‘tattooless’ department through the use of state-of-the-art surface guidance technology. The award was presented to the department by Vision RT at the Cork University Hospital Radiation Therapy Study Day on Saturday 29th April.
This technology was generously funded by Aid Cancer Treatment Charity (A.C.T.) who raised just under €1 million, to purchase this new technology that was developed and installed at the Radiation Oncology Centre, Cork University Hospital, by Vision RT. Surface guidance uses 3D cameras and computer vision to ensure that patients having radiotherapy are in the intended treatment position. A.C.T. were in attendance on Saturday in recognition of their vital support for ‘tattooless’ radiotherapy without which progress would not have been possible.
Claire Keating, Radiation Therapy Services Manager at Cork University Hospital said: “Permanent tattoos used in radiotherapy treatment can have a significant psychological impact on patients. They are a long-lasting reminder of the cancer diagnosis and treatment; a time which patients want to move on from. We are delighted here at Cork University Hospital to offer tattoo-less radiotherapy for the vast majority of our patients.”
One of the many advantages of surface guidance technology is the elimination of the need for permanent skin markings, or tattoos, for radiotherapy. Traditionally tattoos have been required for the accurate and reproducible daily delivery of radiotherapy. Eliminating this requirement has a major benefit for patients.
Another advantage of the ground-breaking technology is the ability to continuously monitor, with millimeter accuracy, the patient’s position while the radiotherapy is being delivered. This means that a correction can be made if the patient moves even a mm during the treatment thus increasing the accuracy of the radiotherapy. This precision means that advanced techniques will become available for patients at Cork University Hospital and patients will no longer have to travel to Dublin for these treatments.
This surface guided technology, called AlignRT, is also used for deep-inspiration breath hold radiotherapy, where the patient holds their breath during treatment. This allows radiation to be delivered while limiting radiation exposure to the heart and lungs, a technique predominantly used for left sided breast cancer treatment.
