A new procedure is being used at a Sunshine Coast hospital to treat patients with a rare blood cancer.
The Apheresis technique removes red blood cells directly from the bloodstream to treat Polycythemia Rubra Vera (PRV) and is only the second of its kind to be offered at an Australian hospital.
Sunshine Coast Health Director of Haematology Professor Craig Wallington-Gates said the new method is more efficient.
“Traditionally, we’d do a procedure known as venesection, where a needle is inserted into a patient’s arm and, through gravity, about 500ml of whole blood is removed and which reduces the number of red blood cells in the circulation,” he said.
“This is an advanced technique called Apheresis, which means removing components of the blood from the circulation and, in this case, we’re removing red blood cells in a very direct manner.”
Professor Wallington-Gates said the treatment works quickly.
“This results in more fluid blood that’s not so thick and doesn’t clot easily, and it’s an effective means of treating the patients’ bone marrow disorder,” he said.
“Some patients might need it initially on a weekly basis, some patients might need it every six months and some patients may never need it again.”
The Sunshine Coast University Hospital is just the second site in Australia to offer the treatment, after Barwon Health in Victoria.
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Sunshine Coast Health clinical nurse consultant Kylie Stevens said the treatment should provide patients with a better outcome.
“We’ll put them onto the machine and it’s about an 8 to 15 minute procedure,” she said.
“The patient should hopefully not feel as fatigued post (treatment) because we are replacing them with albumin product from blood bank and, hopefully as we go, we will have less frequency in visits.”
Sunshine Coast Health began using Apheresis equipment in 2025 as part of its stem cell transplantation service for treating certain aggressive blood cancers. The service has now expanded to support the treatment of additional conditions.
Sunshine Coast Health chief executive Peter Gillies said the service was a welcome addition to the hospital.
“Being able to offer this treatment locally means patients can receive leading care close to home,” he said.
“It’s a great example of our clinical teams continuing to innovate and bring new services to our community and reflects our commitment to providing safe and high-quality care for our patients.”
