A new weapon in the war on skin cancer has arrived on the Sunshine Coast.
The region, which has the country’s highest incidence of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, will benefit greatly from a vital piece of radiation therapy technology now available at the Adem Crosby Centre at Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH).
Brachytherapy is a type of radiation therapy where a sealed radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment.
Compared to conventional radiation therapy, it allows for higher doses of radiation to be focused on areas that require radiation.
It also minimises unnecessary radiation exposure in areas that don’t require treatment.
Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service Advanced Radiation Therapist David Wood said the technology would complete a new centre that had been 36 months in the making.
“The whole cancer services team led by Dr Dinesh Vignarajah has been working hard in the background for years to get to this point, I am so excited to see it commence,” Mr Wood said.
“The technology allows us to be highly tailored, precise and non-invasive. Our 3D scanner precisely maps any body part. The 3D printer is then used to print a template for this body part and our new Flexitron then delivers the radiation based on this template with sub millimetre precision.”
“Initially, we will treat non-melanoma skin cancer, unfortunately very common on the Coast.
“The Sunshine Coast has the country’s highest incidence of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. Queenslanders have the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, with two in three Aussies diagnosed with skin cancer by age 70,” he said.
In the future, brachytherapy treatment may be expanded to other cancers such as prostate, or cervical cancer.
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Brachytherapy Advanced Radiation Oncology Medical Physicist Lynsey Hamlett said that patients with more complex cancers would still benefit from the establishment of this service.
“The Brachytherapy Centre will free up the larger radiotherapy machines for treatment of other cancers.
“Besides precision treatment, other benefits for non-melanoma skin cancer patients include: the ability to stay on the Coast for treatment, speed of treatment (in some cases you can be seen in clinic in morning and treated in afternoon) and the ability to provide patients more choices for treatment.
“Our centre compliments other SCHHS services, such as our Rapid Access Plastics Intervention Day (RAPID) Clinic.
“We feel so privileged we have been able to be part of setting up this important service on the Sunshine Coast,” she said.
Kawana resident Bernard Wright is in the process of receiving radiation treatment at Sunshine Coast University Hospital for a skin cancer on his finger.
“I skinned the top of my thumb in 2019, and it never properly healed. Doctors have been observing it, taking photos and measuring it, and eventually I was referred to the Adem Crosby Centre, where I will be having radiation therapy.
“I’ve had three visits to the Adem Crosby Centre and I can tell you all of the medical professionals there are fantastic,” Mr Wright said.
“Last week I went in and had my arm and hand fitted for the radiation. We had a practice run without radiation, and that made me feel very comfortable with the procedure.”
“The cancer is near to the area of my knuckle, so it’s fairly difficult to access. I have been told I’m probably going to lose my fingernail but they are confident the cancer will be removed.”
