Cervical cancer patients will no longer have to travel outside the province for a specialized, targeted form of radiation, which is considered the gold standard of care.  The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency has launched the Interstitial High-Dose-Rate Gynecological Brachytherapy program. Radiation Oncologist for the SCA, Dr. Jocelyn Moore says being able to stay in your home province is best for the patient and it provides a continuum of care. “Cervix brachytherapy is probably one of the most invasive treatments that we offer at the cancer centre. So, to have a patient work with us for her external beam radio therapy for five to six weeks and then we ship them out to a centre where they’ve never been, they don’t know the team, and they have to go through quite an ordeal, is not ideal.”

In January, the program treated its first patient with this targeted, internal radiation therapy. Dr. Moore explains that it combines standard radiation applicators with strategically placed needles, which provide a precise, high-dose radiation treatment that treats irregular-sized tumours, while reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues, which then also minimizes side effects. The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency says around 65 per cent of patients with cervical cancer could benefit from this program. The procedure is available in Saskatoon right now, but there are plans to expand to Regina in the future.

It’s estimated the program will benefit more than 20 cervical cancer patients annually. This is the first phase of the program, with the introduction of hybrid therapy. Future phases will introduce different applicators to expand treatment options for vaginal cancers, vaginally recurrent uterine cancers, and locally advanced cervical cancers.