Raising the profile of radiotherapy

THE Christie Hospital, Manchester, responsible for the state-of-the-art cancer centre in Oldham, will be at the forefront of major campaign to raise awareness of radiotherapy.

Launched today, the Year of Radiotherapy is a national initiative intended to improve public understanding of the importance of the treatment.

The gleaming new radiotherapy centre at the Royal Oldham Hospital opened its doors to patients in March last year.

It put Oldham on the map in terms of cancer treatment, making it the only place to receive therapy in Greater Manchester away from Christie’s main site in south Manchester.

But findings from a survey published today show that fewer than one in 10 people think radiotherapy is a modern cancer treatment.

Christie physicist Dr Carl Rowbottom said; “Around 50 per cent of people treated for cancer will have radiotherapy and this campaign is aimed at raising the profile of this life-saving and cutting-edge treatment.

“We need to increase the public’s perception of how important radiotherapy is in treating and curing cancer.”

The specialised procedure works by using high-energy radiation beams from a rotating machine to destroy cancer cells.

With one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world, The Christie treats around 400 cancer patients a day with radiotherapy.

The research, which involved more than 2000 UK adults, showed that while 47 per cent of those asked said cancer drugs were modern, only 9 per cent appreciated that radiotherapy was also a cutting-edge treatment.

Experts hope the campaign will promote the work of more targeted techniques of the therapy and the role they play in transforming the lives of cancer patients.

The second Christie radiotherapy centre is due to open this summer at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.