Radiotherapy
The Radiotherapy unit is a located within the Plymouth Oncology Centre, on level 2 of
Derriford Hospital. The Team comprises of Clinical Oncologists , Medical Oncologists,
Therapeutic Radiographers , Physicists, Clinical Technologists, Engineers, Assistant
Practitioners and Helpers all supported by a team of Clerical and Secretarial staff.
The Radiotherapy team works closely with the day case Chemotherapy Unit, the Oncology
ward (Brent) and the clinical research unit to ensure we deliver a high quality service to all
our users. The unit participates in a wide range of national clinical trials, expanded research
programmes and some commercial studies.
Most Radiotherapy takes place on an outpatient basis, so you probably won’t need to be
admitted to hospital for treatment.
The planning of your treatment will take several days and therefore there is a delay
between your planning appointments and your first treatment appointment.
When attending the department you can bring a friend or relative with you if you wish, but
they may need to remain in reception whilst you are undergoing your treatment. Some
people find it helps to have someone else present when receiving instructions and
explanations. (Unfortunately, if you come on hospital transport we cannot book a space in
the ambulance or hospital car for an escort unless for medical reasons).
The Radiotherapy department routinely operates from 8.15am until 5.30pm and is backed
up with an on call service at the weekends (9am until 5pm).
Radiotherapy is the use of high energy radiation to treat diseases. The treatment is
delivered using one of our 3 Linear Accelerators. It is a common treatment for cancer,
where the radiation is used to destroy cancer cells. A vital key to long-term survival for
cancer patients is access to radiotherapy and it can aid to control and even cure some
cancers.
Our multidisciplinary team of highly skilled Clinical Oncologists, Medical Physicists,
Therapeutic Radiographers and Clinical technologists have access to the latest state- of –
the- art equipment to deliver highly accurate and personalised radiotherapy.
The decision of whether to use radiotherapy – and which type of radiotherapy to use – is
made on a patient-by-patient basis. Different tumour types respond to radiotherapy in
different ways so all patients require an individualised treatment plan.
Where appropriate, Radiotherapy is used to treat many different forms of cancer. These
include skin cancer, head and neck cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, anal cancer and
prostate cancer. Radiotherapy may be given alongside chemotherapy and/or surgery.
Some patients will be required to have an Immobilisation device made. Theses help the
patients to stay very still for treatment, for Head and Neck cancer a mask is routinely used.
For other treatment sites such as Lung and Limb Radiotherapy, vacuum formed
immobilisation bags may be used.
Developments in Radiotherapy allow us to target tumours with more accurate doses of
radiation than ever before. Greater accuracy means that fewer healthy cells are damaged,
which in turn means that stronger doses can be given, making treatment more effective.
Here are some of the main types of Radiotherapy we can offer:
Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT)
IGRT is the use of a variety of imaging techniques, such as X-rays or CT scans, alongside
Radiotherapy. Imaging allows us to confirm the position of the patient and the tumour and
target the Radiotherapy beam more precisely.
Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT)
IMRT uses linear accelerators to deliver very precise doses of radiation which are shaped to
the size of the tumour.
Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT)
VMAT is also called RapidArc – both names are specific to the equipment manufacturers,
but are the same technique. Using three-dimensional volume imaging, treatment can be
designed and delivered to maximise the radiation dose the tumour receives and minimise
exposure of the surrounding healthy tissue. The angle of the beam, the dose rate and the
leaf speed are all independently controlled, making this a very accurate form of treatment.
Arc therapy treatments also take much less time to deliver than other Radiotherapy
techniques.
Stereotactic Radiotherapy Treatment and RadioSurgery
Stereotactic Radiotherapy is the use of multiple small beams to deliver Radiotherapy
treatment which is shaped to the size of the tumour. It is most often used on small, welldefined tumours. Stereotactic Radiotherapy is usually delivered using a specialist linear
accelerator.
Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is different to the other treatments listed above. Instead of the ionising
radiation source being outside the body, patients have radioactive sources placed inside
their body. This can be done in an operating theatre, or in the Radiotherapy Department.