Cancer Care
Northern Beaches

Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) is a technique where patients take a deep breath and hold it while the radiation treatment is delivered. This inflates the lungs and can move her heart away from the chest. This technique is used for certain breast cancer treatments. Please ask your Radiation Oncologist or contact us to see if this technique may be right for you.

IGRT uses X-rays and scans before, and during, your treatment. It’s used to verify your position and anatomy before the treatment machine is turned on.

• The scans show the exact shape, size and location of the tumour. We can then make tiny adjustments to precisely target the treatment area
• IGRT can target cancers that move during, or between, treatment sessions. For example, lung cancers that move as you breathe. Or prostate cancer that can move depending on whether your bowel is full or empty

IMRT is a form of ‘conformal’ radiation therapy. The radiation beams are shaped to surround the treatment area as they come out of the treatment machine, avoiding unnecessary radiation being delivered to surrounding tissue. IMRT is technically demanding and requires a high level of precision. For this reason, you will be asked to attend for a computed tomography (CT) scan in a particular position. The Radiation Therapists and Radiation Oncologists will determine if any additional equipment will be required in order for you to stay in the correct position. Developing the ideal plan for each patient can be a complex, time-consuming process. This means that you may be unable to start your radiation therapy treatment straight away after your CT scan appointment.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a type of IMRT. VMAT is very accurate and maximises radiation to the tumour. The surrounding healthy tissue receives a much lower dose, reducing the risk of side-effects.

• VMAT delivers a continuous beam of radiation therapy in an arc that moves around the tumour. It automatically changes the beam shape and radiation dose as it moves
• Treatment sessions with VMAT are usually short – around 10 minutes
• VMAT can be used when the tumour is close to critical organs. It helps them avoid being damaged by radiation

Rather than aiming for cure,  focus is on giving you a better quality of life by controlling your symptoms.

Prostate spacers is an option for men having radiation therapy for prostate cancer. It’s a water-based soft gel implant that temporarily creates a small gap between the prostate and the rectum. This gap protects the rectum from radiation exposure during prostate radiation therapy, meaning fewer side-effects. We partner with local urologists for this service.

Radiation Therapy can be used as an alternative to or in conjunction with surgery to treat skin cancers. Contact us to see if this treatment may be right for you.

Breathing motion during radiation therapy can affect the targeting of the cancer. We offer Respiratory Motion Management for External Beam Radiation Therapy to detect and adapt delivery to optimise individual treatments.

SABR is an extremely advanced form of radiation therapy where a very focused area of radiation is delivered to a small area of the body. The dose of radiation delivered is much higher than that of conventional radiation therapy techniques. SABR treatment typically only involves between 1-5 sessions, meaning fewer visits. Treatment can take up to 1 hour per session. SABR can be used to treat different types of cancer and is sometimes used as an alternative to surgery. Please contact us to see if this treatment may be right for you.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery SRS is a non-surgical treatment option for some types of cancers on the brain. It delivers extremely high doses of precisely targeted radiation therapy to the tumour. Please contact us to see if this treatment may be right for you.