DEPARTMENT OF RADIATION ONCOLOGY

The Prince of Wales Hospital is a major teaching hospital,affiliated with the University of New South Wales and situated in Randwick, in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. The Department of Radiation Oncology treats aproximately 1500 new patients a year and is part of the Institute of Oncology, comprising departments of surgical,medical and radiation oncology. The Department has programs linked with several adjacent hospitals, and a strong research and development program. Its equipment includes a Siemens Primus using Prime View, Simtec and equiped with an MLC, a Varian Clinac 1800, a 10/6 MV Siemens Mevatron and a Pantak Orthovoltage unit. Planning equipment includes two simulators and and a number of computerised treatment planning systems. A stereotactic radiosurgery facility has been developed and an X-Knife 3-D planning system acquired. A wide range of brachytherapy treatments is undertaken some of which treatments use remote afterloading interstitial systems for gynaecological brachytherapy. The Stereotactic Radiosurgery Unit at Prince of Wales Hospital began patient treatment in 1990, making it the most experienced clinical service in Australia with over 350 patients treated by Stereotactic Radiosurgery to date. In addition fractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy has been in regular use for two years. The most advanced computer planning programs are available to ensure accuracy and safety of treatment. In 1999 we started treating using a mini multileaf collimator using the software package XPlan. Although this is not a stereotactic treatment, we can use existing head localising equipment to ensure reproducibility of treatment. Two weeks ago we commenced, for the first time in Australia, an IMRT treatment. It may well be this is the first time a stereotactic IMRT treatment using a mini multi-leaf collimator has been done.