Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT)

User

Posted 02 Oct 2016 at 13:05

Hello All,

I have just come across this type of radiotherapy while researching questions to ask my oncologist at my appointment on Wednesday. I was very surprised to come across yet another type of radiotherapy delivery. From reading about it it seems it would again be a treatment which would minimise collateral damage to other areas which is what I am searching for due to my pre-existing conditions (or co-morbidity as the urologist puts it) - overactive bladder and history of anal fistula from an infection in 2007. I wonder is there anyone out there who has experience of this. Certainly here in Wales this treatment is only available privately but I am wondering if it is available elsewhere in the UK on the NHS and if anyone has had it here either privately or on the NHS. Does anyone know if there are trials being run here in the UK using this for prostate cancer. Every day brings something new to add to my knowledge.

User

Posted 02 Oct 2016 at 20:37

It isn't that new so I think quite a few of the main hospitals have it - they tend to just use IMRT to describe a range of different deliveries as VMAT, Rapidarc etc are all intensity modulated. You might have more luck googling hospitals that have the rapidarc machine.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 02 Oct 2016 at 22:41

Anthony,

You are correct that there are more advanced means of delivering External Beam radiotherapy and it is believed this should result in less collateral damage to other organs. However, you might have to go to a major hospital in England to be treated in this way. I am not sure how NHS funding decisions are made in Wales for treatment in England but you could ask your GP. Even if you have to go private to fund this it is likely that you will require a referral from your GP or your present hospital, for treatment in Wales or England.

Edited by member 02 Oct 2016 at 22:44 | Reason: Not specified

Barry

User

Posted 03 Oct 2016 at 08:53

Thanks, It was finding a machine and then from their PR finding the hospitals they have sold it to that I have found it is available in Cardiff but only for paying patients it seems. I will need a referral either from my GP or from my oncologist which I had for proton therapy and Royal Marsden. Apparently if my Doc believes that a particular form of treatment not available in Wales would benefit me then they can put a case forward to go to a hospital elsewhere for the treatment on what I think is called a PACS scheme. It will just take a couple of weeks for it to go through the system here before the referral can be approved. Thanks again. From reading through all the lterature I could find on the internet yesterday I realise it is not that new just that not a lot of hospitals invested in the machinery.

User

Posted 03 Oct 2016 at 15:51

Anthony,

Always good to have a supportive GP. Is it correct that you had or were to have 'Proton' treatment for something else, as to the best of my knowledge this is not available in the UK for PCa yet. (Only Clatterbrige have a proton beam machine and this is low powered and can only treat eyes?) Did you mean 'photon' which is the usual type of radiation dispensed by the widely used Linac accelerators and also in a more precise way for Rapid Arc, Volumetric machines and for Cyberknife?

Edited by member 03 Oct 2016 at 15:52 | Reason: Not specified

Barry

User

Posted 22 Feb 2026 at 12:52

I know this is not recent, but as FYI. South Wales Cancer Centre (NHS Swansea) has several VMAT rapidarc machines, including the latest Elekta Agility/Versa HD

They also routinely use SABR or SBRT treatments.

They don’t however have MR-Linac capability, which gives highly accurate MRI real time guided beam therapy.

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