Radiotherapy team becomes one of only three in Wales to deliver cutting edge cancer treatment

03.12.2025

A hospital radiotherapy team has been commissioned to provide cutting-edge, targeted lung cancer treatment – one of only three such centres across Wales.

Staff at Glan Clwyd Hospital’s North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre (NWCTC) welcomed its first patient to receive Lung Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) recently. It is a highly precise and targeted treatment which can hit extremely small areas of cancer cells in early-stage lung cancers, where surgery is declined or is not an option due to other health conditions.

Previously, the treatment was only available to patients from North Wales if they could travel to Liverpool to receive it. The first person to take advantage of the new service at Glan Clwyd Hospital is Eileen Gerrity, from Gronant.

An early-stage lung cancer patient, Eileen was offered the treatment and jumped at the chance to receive it locally to her North Wales home. She is attending five sessions of radiotherapy across a two-week period and gave it a huge thumbs up.

She said: “The fact I can have this treatment locally, rather than travelling to Liverpool is brilliant. Everyone is so nice here.

“I have had no after effects at all. The staff are wonderful. They get you fixed up on this machine. It’s nothing difficult. It’s smashing.”

SABR is typically delivered as an outpatient appointment in a smaller number of treatments compared with conventional radiotherapy, to those patients who are suitable. The aim is to provide a high dose of radiation to the tumour whilst sparing as much healthy tissue as possible, to minimise side effects. With the addition of Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT), the North Wales team can precisely monitor the patient’s position, ensuring the treatment gets to the prescribed area.

The service was developed through close collaboration between NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (NWJCC), Betsi Cadwaladr UHB, the Clinical Oncology Sub Committee, and SABR clinical leads from Swansea and Velindre. The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, in Liverpool, provided expert clinical advice and mentoring support for the new service.

Dr Mazin Sirelkhatim, SABR programme lead and lung oncologist, said: “I am delighted to be able to offer this treatment for patients with lung cancer. This is a team effort and I am very grateful to my clinicians, physics and radiographer colleagues for all their support in making this happen.

“I would also like to extend our thanks to our colleagues at Clatterbridge and South Wales for their ongoing support. I hope that we collaborate on more projects soon.”

Former stockbroker Eileen praised the overall care she has received from the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre, which is celebrating 25 years of service this year.

“I’m quite happy with coming here,” she revealed. “I’ve seen some fantastic doctors, nurses and radiotherapists. When you first arrive, they will answer any questions or worries. That is fantastic, you’ve got that support.”

“This is an important milestone with the centre opening 25 years ago, principally to provide radiotherapy for the North Wales population,” said head of service Dr Christopher Scrase. "I am looking forward to further expansion of the SABR programme in the next few years.”

Melanie Wilkey, NWJCC’s director of commissioning specialised services said: “Being able to offer SABR locally in North Wales is a significant achievement for cancer services in Wales, it improves access, supports equity and delivers better outcomes for patients.

“Prior to 2022, SABR treatment was only available at Velindre Cancer Centre. That year Swansea Bay UHB became the second provider. Now Betsi Cadwaladr UHB has joined as the third. This means all three tertiary cancer centres in Wales now deliver SABR.”

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