Icon KZN Radiotherapy Unit Gets a High-Tech Upgrade
Icon Oncology, the leading cancer care provider in the country, is proud to announce the upgrade of its radiotherapy unit at Umhlanga Oncology Centre. This is good news for cancer patients who need life-saving radiotherapy treatment in Umhlanga and the north of Durban.
In mid-April the centre took delivery of a brand-new Varian Halcyon® linear accelerator (linac). This forms part of a multi-million Rand technology investment and refurbishment at the well-established oncology centre.
Icon Oncology celebrated the reopening of its Umhlanga Oncology Centre on Tuesday, 4 June 2024. The radiotherapy unit welcomed a new Varian Halcyon Linac. Attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony was from left to right, Jennifer Fuller, regional business manager for the Midlands; Simon Meredith GM and Country Lead at Varian Medical Systems; Dr Ernst Marais, COO of Icon Oncology; Dr Leon Marais, Clinical Oncologist and Dr Trenton Oliver. In front, Dr Neil Narsai did the ribbon-cutting.
Established Excellence
Since its launch in 2012, the Icon Radiotherapy unit at the Umhlanga Oncology Centre has delivered over 85,000 individual radiation treatments to 4,500 patients. The recent upgrade means that oncologists in KZN can treat more patients using the latest radiotherapy technology.
Latest Technology
The Halcyon™ radiotherapy system is engineered to deliver treatment harnessing the latest advances in radiation therapy. It allows the very careful delivery of external beam radiation therapy.
Precision
The biggest benefit of the machine is that it delivers a precise, tightly controlled and focused radiation dose to the tumour, while it reduces the impact on surrounding healthy tissue. The treatment is fast and the linac is designed to move quietly, which means a more relaxed experience for our patients.
The Umhlanga Oncology Centre offers a warm, relaxed and compassionate environment with expert clinicians and supporting services where patients can focus on their journey towards better health.
Improved patient experience
Cancer is a traumatic disease and patient comfort is key to reduce stress and deliver better outcomes for them. The Varian Halcyon linac is designed to make the experience as comfortable as possible. It also allows for quicker treatment duration, which means patients can focus on recovery and getting on with their everyday activities.
The right care
Icon Oncology’s holistic approach to providing the right care for our patients means we concentrate on putting our patients at the centre of everything we do. Our purpose is to give cancer patients the best opportunity to live healthier lives. To deliver on this promise, we combine decades of clinical expertise, research, cutting-edge technology, big data and managed healthcare experience to deliver the best possible care to our patients.
