Latest news from Radiotherapy

UHDB radiographers are now using a state-of-the-art technique to treat cancer patients more effectively, without leaving them with permanent reminders of what they’ve been through for everyone to see.

Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT) targets tumours even more accurately than techniques used before but crucially doesn’t rely on marks being left on the skin to do this – meaning patients are not left with these “tattoos” following their treatment.

A patient at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, is raising awareness on World Cancer Day on how the disease can affect anyone, of any gender and any age.

A radiographer at Royal Derby Hospital had been praised by her colleagues for acting quickly and professionally in a potentially life-threatening situation.

Nicole Turner, Senior Radiographer, was contacted by a patient’s wife to say they were feeling unwell and nauseous.  

A Radiographer has been named as the new Vice President for the Society of Radiographers (SOR), and will go on to become UHDB’s second President of the organisation.

A new life-saving form of radiotherapy treatment is now being offered for the very first time at UHDB to patients with lung cancer. UHDB is now able to offer Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) treatment at Royal Derby Hospital and last week began treating our first patient with lung cancer using the advanced technique. SABR allows for tumours to be targeted with very high doses of radiation over fewer sessions, using state-of-the-art image guidance technology, with this high level of precision especially important when treating cancer of the lung, due to there being a moving target as the patient breathes in and out.

A mum-of-three who has recently finished treatment for breast cancer has documented her journey of undergoing treatment for a serious health condition during the pandemic on social media. Donna Bloy was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2020 and started an Instagram account to document not only her cancer treatment during Covid-19.

UHDB is one of only a handful of Trusts in the UK now offering a brand new procedure designed to improve the quality of life of prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. 

The minimally invasive procedure, known as SpaceOAR Hydrogel, involves a layer of protective gel being inserted between the prostate and the rectum, so as to ensure that the highest dose of radiation is limited to the prostate only.

Radiotherapy patients experiencing any late side effects following treatment can now benefit from a vital new UHDB service.