NHS to spend £130m upgrading or replacing radiotherapy machines

NHS to spend £130m upgrading or replacing radiotherapy machines

Upgrade of at least 100 linear accelerator machines should boost survival chances of hundreds of thousands of cancer patients

Cancer treatment is to get its biggest boost in 15 years, according to NHS England, which has said it will spend £130m upgrading or replacing radiotherapy machines to improve the survival chances of hundreds of thousands of patients.

The upgrade of at least 100 linear accelerator (Linac) machines across the country will ensure more patients get state-of-the-art treatment called intensity-modulated radiotherapy, which can target the tumour very precisely without damaging surrounding healthy tissue. New machines are more accurate and can deliver a higher dose to the cancer cells, which will reduce the amount of time a patient has to spend in radiotherapy and hopefully increase cure rates. 

Guardian
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