University Hospitals of North Midlands has become the first NHS trust in the region to begin delivering a revolutionary cancer treatment following the introduction of the 2020 national expansion programme.
SABR (Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy) treatment is currently offered to patients with Stage 1 lung cancer whose tumour is medically inoperable. A concentrated dose of radiation is issued to the tumour, which helps to limit damage to surrounding organs.
The treatment has various advantages over conventional radiotherapy, with clinicians gaining more control over the area in the body concerned, meaning the cancer is less likely to return within that site.
Overall survival rates are better and an entire course of treatment can be delivered in between three to eight visits, making the treatment easier and more convenient for patients.
Treatment sessions are held on alternate days throughout the week and patients have weekends free to rest in between.
65-year-old Valerie Evans of Cheddleton, near Leek, recently celebrated becoming the first patient in UHNM to complete a course of the treatment, which she says has saved her life.
Valerie said: “My lung cancer was actually discovered by a doctor in the ambulatory care team at Royal Stoke. I had come into hospital with chest pain and he ordered a scan to look for blood clots. It was then that they discovered the tumour on my lung, 1.5 cm in diameter.
“I was referred for surgery, but because of other health complications this wasn’t really an option for me and I wasn’t in a position to travel to Manchester or Birmingham. Fortunately for me, SABR came along at just the right time and I ended up being ‘patient number one’.
“I feel a responsibility to encourage others to have the treatment. There is no pain and the staff are so reassuring and professional. Dr Jegannathen has been inspirational in her optimism and helping me to get through. I sometimes feel anxious before coming for treatment but as soon as I get to the hospital I can feel the care and expertise around me, it helps me to relax.
“I feel so honoured and relieved to be selected for this treatment. I have had really good support from close family and friends. They have sent me messages telling me that I’m stronger and braver than I think and that I can do this. I feel in good hands and I’m looking forward to the future. I don’t have any major plans except to grab life with both hands and make the best of every single day, I don’t want to waste any time.”
Valerie has undergone just five 40-minute sessions of SABR. She commenced treatment on Wednesday 20 January 2021 and received her last session on Friday 29 January 2021.
Dr Apurna Jegannathen, Consultant Oncologist, said: “The great news is that Valerie’s tumour does appear to have reduced in size, but we will have to wait for a few months before we perform a scan to absolutely confirm this.
“Valerie is a star patient and has been absolutely brilliant all the way through, we’re very proud of her. She put her trust and faith in us and even when some natural anxiety kicked in, she stayed totally calm.
“As clinicians, this was our first ‘hands-on’ experience delivering SABR. From gathering patient consent to delivering the treatment, we have carried out the whole process with meticulous attention to detail. I had a real adrenaline surge when my team pressed the treatment button for the first time and there was such a moment of joy and a few tears when we had actually done it! All the hard work setting up this service finally paid off when Valerie received her first treatment.
“We have an excellent team here at UHNM and everything went really well on the day. The dose we have to administer is very high and the configuration for the treatment has to be perfect, it’s a very rigorous and precise process to get it all ready. As a multidisciplinary team, everyone involved – oncologists, planning radiographers, physicists and therapy radiographers – had extensive training and education alongside quality assurance tests, mentored by The Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
“It’s fantastic that we can now offer SABR to patients locally. Before, they would have to travel to Birmingham or central Manchester and we sometimes had patients who would cancel their appointment because the distance was too far. We’re really proud to launch this treatment for our patients.
“At the moment we are focusing on using SABR to treat lung cancer, but we would like to expand the service to be able to treat other areas.
“As we move forwards we hope to be able to procure more advanced equipment which will help us to achieve our goal of becoming a Cancer Centre of Excellence at UHNM.”
Watch Valerie receive her treament here
