REGINA — The Allan Blair Cancer Centre is using a new tool to treat metastatic brain cancer, which will soon be available to patients in both Regina and Saskatoon.
Earlier this month, the Regina clinic began treating its first patient — and also the first patient in Canada — using the newly added HyperArc stereotactic radiosurgery system.
“The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency strives to provide care of the highest quality to each patient who walks through our doors,” said SCA president Dr. Jon Tonita. “Introducing HyperArc to our radiotherapy treatment options means patients can receive world-class treatment closer to home.”
HyperArc is state-of-the-art and highly efficient, according to experts, and delivers high-quality radiotherapy care with reduced side effects to patients.
In comparison to traditional therapies, stereotactic radiosurgery delivers precisely-targeted treatment in less high-dose sessions, which can help preserve healthy brain tissue.
The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency described the moment as a “milestone in cancer care.”
“Providing patients with the most modern treatment available today is exciting and will lead to better outcomes and better quality of life for our patients with metastatic brain cancer,” said Dr. Gavin Cranmer-Sargison, SCA director of medical physics.
The SCA began offering a stereotactic radiosurgery program in 2016, and treated 20 patients in Saskatoon through the program last year.
The addition of the HyperArc system is part of the program’s ongoing expansion, expected to increase program capacity for patients in southern Saskatchewan.
It was installed in the ABCC earlier this year, following a $3.5 million funding allotment from the Ministry of Health.
The SCA is also planning on continuing to expand, bringing HyperArc technology to the Saskatoon Cancer Centre later this year. Once complete, HyperArc treatment is expected to benefit more than half of the radiosurgery patients in the province each year.
