New cancer treatment in Mississauga gives patients better chance at beating disease

Credit Valley Hospital (CVH) in Mississauga is using “innovative cancer treatment technology” that’s expected to prolong and save lives, increase accessibility to treatment and reduce wait times for care.

Hospital officials say the Carlo Fidani Regional Cancer Centre at CVH is the first healthcare facility in eastern Canada to treat patients using HyperArc, a hardware and software platform that delivers highly precise radiosurgical treatment to patients with multiple brain metastases.

Brain metastases are tumours resulting from the spread of the disease from another part of the body to the brain.

Essentially, the new technology will allow patients to be treated for multiple tumours in a single treatment session instead of one tumour at a time. A patient with seven brain metastases, for example, can now receive planning and treatment in 9.5 hours compared to 31.5 hours.

“This new technology will help us deliver even better care to our patients and result in more positive experiences throughout their cancer journey, while also benefitting our growing community by increasing access to treatment,” said Dr. Joan Murphy, vice-president patient care services, oncology, at  Trillium Health Partners (THP), which oversees CVH.

“We are committed to continue to find innovative ways to improve the quality of care and quality of life of cancer patients at the Carlo Fidani Regional Cancer Centre. Our priority is to deliver high quality, accessible and sustainable care to shape a healthier tomorrow.”

THP officials add that the CVH-based cancer centre is also the first in Canada to treat patients with more than five brain metastases.

“This will not only improve our patients’ experience and outcomes, but it will help us ensure we have the much-needed capacity to deliver high-quality, safe and efficient cancer care to our growing community,” said Dr. Anthony Brade, THP division head, radiation oncology.

Terena Burton, among the first cancer patients at CVH to receive treatment using HyperArc, described the process as quick and easy.

“It’s amazing to be able to have all those spots treated in one visit so close to home,” she said. “I would have been facing five or six hours of treatment in three visits otherwise.”