Windsor hospital's new linear accelerator will expand cancer treatment capacity

A new machine at Windsor Regional Hospital could help deliver 26,000 more cancer treatments a year. 

Unveiled Monday, the hospital's new linear accelerator is a new, state-of-the-art machine that delivers targeted radiation treatments to people with cancer. Hospital officials say the machine is less invasive and could mean some patients require fewer doses to treat their cancers. 

"When we think about oncology and specifically radiation medicine, it might seem like a small niche in the whole spectrum of health care but it's such a critically important aspect of care to our community," said Dr. Ken Schneider, head of radiation oncology at the hospital. 

"We have to stay current, state of the art in terms of delivering evidence-based care … our new linear accelerator will allow us to do that. We'll be on the forefront like every other regional cancer centre."

The "very big, very expensive," machine treats many different types of cancer, said Jonathan Foster, the vice-president for cancer services. The hospital currently has three linear accelerators, but they will soon need to be replaced — taking each offline for several months. 

The added machine will make sure the hospital maintains its capacity throughout that process, Foster said, and expanding their capacity to four machines once replacements are complete. 

Not only will patients be seen faster, but treatments can be more targeted — and for some types of cancer Foster says it could mean fewer doses, A patient that might need 20 doses with the current machines could need just five to seven on the new linear accelerator. 

"So, just from an impact of having to come to the hospital, be treated, registered, have your family arrangements taken care of if you have childcare obligations, is a big burden," Foster said. "Anything we can do to lessen that burden again is a really good advancement for health care."

When the replacement cycle on the hospital's existing machines is complete, Foster said the new machine will be able to provide about 26,000 treatments per year, treating about 450 new patients. 

It'll also help them meet wait time targets for getting people into treatment after they've been diagnosed. The target time is under two weeks, he said. 

"The sad part is that it's needed, but the good part is that curative cancer treatments are like never before available to patients and this gives people the best chance of survival when we've got the best technology at hand," he said. 

Foster added that the machine will move to the new hospital.

Because the machine is so large, and the hospital completely full, the machine is located inside a new structure on hospital grounds officials nicknamed "the bunker,"essentially a specialized radiation vault. 

"With the addition, Windsor Regional Cancer Centre will be able to offer more timely and accessible radiation therapy, ensuring that more patients can receive the care that they need without having to travel long distances quickly up the 401," said Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie. 

"For many, this means life saving treatments delivered right here in our community with less disruption to our lives."

The project was funded with more than $30 million provided by the province that also facilitated the renovation of the cardiac catheterization lab.