A pioneering treatment for kidney cancer using radiation has been described as potentially lifesaving.
A radiation treatment room at a hospital. (file pic) Photo: Pennsylvania State University
Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy, or SABR, is a non-invasive way to treat small tumours using high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and spare healthy tissue.
It has been pioneered for the first time in New Zealand at Waikato Hospital.
Radiation oncologist Roger Huang said use of SABR is non-invasive, the patient is treated as an outpatient and does not require a stay in hospital or any post-operative recovery.
Dr Roger Huang Photo: Supplied
He said it's a potentially lifesaving technique, particularly for patients who cannot have surgery.
''The treatment is pretty much just managing their symptoms and potentially they can die from their cancer but with this technique it offers an alternative with the chance of a cure."
The patient who had the first treatment using the technique is in her 80s and had been ruled out as a candidate for surgery due to other medical conditions and her age which put her at too much risk.
''We were very excited to offer the treatment to her.''
Huang said when using the technique they have to be careful not to damage surrounding organs, however, the technique is highly precise.
''It's capable of accuracy down to millimetres helped by onboard imagery to locate and target the tumour.''
He said the SABR technique has already been used on other parts of the body, including the lungs, brain and bones.
Dr Huang said Waikato Hospital will develop SABR for other organs such as prostate, pancreas and liver.
''We'll be offering it to patients suitable for the treatment,'' he said.
''Surgery is still the gold standard but SABR certainly offer an alternative option.''
He believes the process could cut the length of treatment for prostate cancer from the current four weeks to one and it could improve outcomes for pancreatic cancer which can be difficult to treat using conventional radiation therapy.