Private healthcare group Life Healthcare is bringing advanced cancer treatment to central South Africa, with Life Rosepark Hospital’s radiotherapy unit becoming the region’s first private hospital to offer deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) treatment. The unit has also successfully delivered its first stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) treatment to a prostate cancer patient.
Zakkie Welman, medical physicist and Ewette Menge, unit manager of the radiotherapy unit at Life Rosepark Hospital. Image supplied.
The unit has already treated several patients with left-sided breast cancer using DIBH. This advanced radiotherapy technique uses controlled breathing to move the heart away from the treatment area temporarily.
By reducing radiation exposure to the heart and lungs, the technique improves treatment safety and may lower the risk of long-term cardiac complications.
The hospital recently reached another milestone by successfully delivering its first SBRT treatment.
SBRT is a highly precise form of radiotherapy that delivers high-dose radiation to tumours over a limited number of sessions, maximising effectiveness while minimising exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
Both DIBH and SBRT are enabled by the hospital’s investment in the Varian TrueBeam radiotherapy platform, which combines advanced imaging, image-guidance and motion-management technology for exceptional accuracy.
Until now, many patients from Bloemfontein and surrounding areas who required these specialised treatments often had to travel to Pretoria or other major centres for care.
“We are incredibly excited about what these advanced treatment techniques mean for the future of the Life Oncology Unit and, most importantly, for the patients we serve,” said Hein Rossouw, hospital manager at Life Rosepark Hospital.
“By offering DIBH and SBRT locally, we are expanding access to highly specialised cancer care and providing treatment options previously unavailable in the region.
“This not only improves convenience for patients and their families but also ensures world-class treatment closer to home.”
