Busamed Modderfontein gets new brachytherapy machine

When it comes to treating cancer, most people know about chemotherapy and radiotherapy as they are the most publicised.

However, there is another form of oncology treatment that’s both highly specialised and targeted.

The new Elekta brachytherapy machine delivers comprehensive cancer treatment to patients and the local community. Brachytherapy is highly targeted radiotherapy treatment that’s localised. It limits side effects and can potentially reduce treatment time which are two hugely significant benefits for people with cancer.

The Busamed Modderfontein Private Hospital has invested in an Elektra Flexitron Brachytherapy unit so it can enhance what it offers its patients and can create a holistic oncology treatment centre.

“Our goal is to bring all forms of cancer treatment under one roof and to create a comprehensive oncology care unit that supports patients throughout their cancer journey. With the introduction of this machine, we now have everything in one place and our patients are treated holistically,” said Lindiwe Fokazi, the oncology unit manager at Busamed Modderfontein Private Hospital. “We have chemotherapy, external radiotherapy and now brachytherapy. If our patients suffer from side effects or require medical attention, we can admit them here. They are provided constant care,” she added.

The brachytherapy machine is designed to treat the following cancers: cervical, uterine, rectal, nasopharynx, oesophagus and skin lesions.

For many of these cancers, the treatment of the illness is incomplete without the use of the brachytherapy machine as it delivers targeted radiotherapy local to the tumour. Due to this level of focus on the tumour, the prognosis is significantly improved.

“With this machine, we can deliver high doses of radiation directly to the tumour and reduce damage to surrounding structures,” said Fokazi.

“It is very difficult to give a high dose externally as it damages the surrounding area and you don’t have precise local control. This particular machine, the Elekta Flexitron, comes with a variety of applicators designed to treat different types of cancer and locations with pinpoint accuracy,” she said.

In addition to the scope of treatment, the Elektra comes with a strong local support presence.

Engineers and technical support are locally placed which means a significant reduction in repair times; with other machines, the team has to wait for an engineer to be flown in from overseas and this can leave machines idle for weeks.

Having a reliable and swift support system in place was extremely important to the hospital.

“We needed to know that we could have our machine repaired immediately so as not to impact on patient care,” Fokazi continued.

Alongside more targeted treatment and support, the machine adds another benefit to the patient, namely cost. Patients can receive holistic care across the hospital, from chemo to radiotherapy to brachytherapy and more, which means that planning rates are reduced. Instead of paying a planning rate for each machine or treatment, the hospital charges one rate for the different treatments.

“Thanks to this reduced rate and the comprehensive treatment plan that this machine now allows us to deliver, we can provide our community and patients with exceptional oncology treatment and care,” said Fokazi.