Radiotherapy unit at University Hospital Galway aims to offer comprehensive service to the west. Dr Muiris Houston reports
Brian, a fit looking man in his late 70s, jumps from his seat when the nurse at the radiotherapy centre in University College Hospital Galway (UCHG) calls his name.
He is over three-quarters of the way through his course of treatment for prostate cancer and knows the drill well. He climbs onto the treatment table and with the guidance of the staff, adjusts to a position that was initially determined at his first pretreatment visit some weeks ago.
Placing his hands on his shoulders, he tucks his elbows well in to his body and remains still. The radiation therapist runs a final check on her calculations before switching on the external beam radiation.
There is no excessive noise or flashes of light. In fact, the process is just like having a normal x-ray. From beginning to end, including the careful positioning, takes no more than 15 minutes.
Brian (not his real name) says the only unusual feeling he has is some tingling in his facial hair. The treatment does not cause pain. His hair has not fallen out and he has not experienced any nausea or vomiting. About a week into his course of 37 daily treatments, he did experience some difficulty passing water .
The burning sensation settled with medication prescribed by Dr Frank Sullivan, the consultant radiation oncologist and Brian's consultant. His experience has been an "overwhelmingly positive" one. The retired solicitor, who lives 34 miles from Galway on the edge of Connemara, is hugely appreciative. "The care and attention by all the staff here is palpable," he says.
Although the unit was officially opened on June 2nd by the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, it treated its first patient on March 16th. In fact, the unit opened specially to treat an emergency case.
A Co Mayo man with secondary bone cancer developed an acute compression of his spinal cord. Untreated, he faced paralysis of his legs within 48 hours.
Rather than undertake a protracted journey to Dublin, he was admitted to UCHG, had five sessions of radiotherapy and was up and walking within days. The unit may have opened somewhat prematurely and dramatically, but for one man and his family it made a huge difference to the quality of their lives.
Eugene Farrell, the radiation therapy services manager at UCHG, says the unit took over all such palliative treatments from St Luke's in Dublin by the end of April.
The plan is to steadily increase their workload, as machines and staff become available, to the point where they provide a comprehensive service for Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and surrounding counties.
"Our aim is to be independent but to have strong collaborative links with St Luke's," he says.
Up to last week the radiotherapy centre had treated 250 patients. It has recorded 5,295 "patient episodes", including consultations, simulators, treatments as well as providing physiotherapy, dietetic advice and the services of other allied healthcare professionals.
With three linear accelerators up and running already, the announcement of two additional treatment machines, to be provided under public-private partnership arrangements, has been welcomed by the staff.
Valerie Jepson, originally from Kent, retired to Ballygluninn, Co Galway with her husband Frank. A smoker for 50 years, she was diagnosed with a lung cancer in January. She is being treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Both Frank and Valerie say it would have been very hard to travel to Dublin for radiotherapy. "We have no friends in Dublin and I would have stayed in a B&B on my own for five days at a time," Valerie says. And while they would have attended St Luke's in the absence of the Galway facility, it would have been difficult.
According to Dr Sullivan, "the distances people have to travel within the west of Ireland means that this unit is making a significant difference to the quality of patients' lives".
I would have stayed in a B&B on my own for five days at a time