9 minute read
WORLD-LEADING CANCER TREATMENT
International patients are increasingly choosing London to access worldleading healthcare.
In oncology, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation
Trust is a pioneering treatment and research centre that ranks among the best hospitals in the world
A unique history and heritage
Founded in 1851, The Royal Marsden was the fi rst hospital in the world dedicated to the study and treatment of cancer.
HRH The Duke of Cambridge has been the president of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust for over 10 years and regularly visits the hospital and its patients. On a recent visit, the Duke remarked: “Seeing the courage and spirit of the patients I met today, it would be hard not to feel positive about the work being done here, and the real di erence it makes – a di erence which I know extends beyond the four walls of the hospital to cancer patients across the UK and internationally.”
World-leading cancer experts under one roof
The Royal Marsden – together with its academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research – is Europe’s largest comprehensive cancer centre. The Royal Marsden Private Care, named ‘Best Private Hospital’ two years running by LaingBuisson, is rated as one of the top three cancer centres globally, and is a world-leader for cancer diagnosis, treatment, care, research and education.
With unrivalled cancer expertise, over 2,500 Royal Marsden consultants cover the rarest and most complex cases. Experts from The Royal Marsden regularly speak at international conferences, and are representatives on committees such as the European and American Societies of Clinical Oncology. The Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Practice is used worldwide to defi ne standards of nursing in cancer care.
Outstanding standards of clinical care
Each year, The Royal Marsden sees and treats over 59,000 cancer patients from 62 nationalities. All patients are provided with the very best aftercare and support, and have 24/7 access to a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Patients also have access to a specially trained, multilingual team of
1 The Royal Marsden was the first hospital in the world dedicated to the study and treatment of cancer | 2 HRH The Duke of Cambridge has been the president of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust for over 10 years (PHOTOS: THE ROYAL MARSDEN)
sta that are on hand to o er support from the first point of contact, all the way through to the end of treatment.
The Royal Marsden was recently rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, an independent regulator of health services in England. Private patients benefit from this unique value of an NHS hospital, including a robust system of governance that ensures treatments are safe and e ective, and that patients receive the best quality of care. All revenue from Private Care services goes back into The Royal Marsden; this integrated Private Care-NHS model means that all patients benefit.
Patients with private healthcare also have additional benefits, such as a hotel-style service, single en-suite rooms and direct access to their treating consultant.
A multidisciplinary team approach like no other
Personalised care is at the heart of The Royal Marsden’s approach; cancer is a complex disease, and so a wide range of experts is needed to provide optimum care for each individual. A treatment plan unique to each patient is discussed and agreed on by a multidisciplinary team of experts, including medical oncologists, radiotherapists, pathologists, radiologists, nurses and allied health professionals.
Pioneering tomorrow’s cancer treatments today
The Royal Marsden has an international research reputation, continuing to invest in and introduce the latest treatments and technology. With over 800 clinical trials open at any one time, a unique partnership with The Institute of Cancer Research, London,
and the UK’s only NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, The Royal Marsden is at the forefront of cancer research.
Experts at The Royal Marsden are exploring the latest advances in technology to help diagnose cancer earlier. Part of a ground-breaking project, Dr Christina Messiou, Consultant Radiologist, is working with researchers from Imperial College London to develop machine learning that will assist radiologists in reporting whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in patients with myeloma. “By developing a system that can flag up sites of possible disease, and measure the amount of disease, we can get to work quicker on diagnosing and treating our patients, guided by extremely precise measurements,” says Dr Messiou.
A ‘liquid biopsy’ test developed at The Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, was found to detect the return of the disease nearly 11 months earlier than hospital scans. The research found the personalised blood test worked in all types of breast cancer and could detect the early spread of the disease. Further work is being done to understand how the test can be translated into clinical use.
Surgical teams at The Royal Marsden are innovators in their field. Consultant gynaecological oncology surgeon Mr John Butler is a key figure in the application of cutting-edge technology to treat hard-toreach ovarian cancers. With PlasmaJet, it is now possible to treat some patients with this tumour type. He also led the introduction of PINPOINT, an exciting new device that o ers high-definition and advanced fluorescence imaging in real time. The Royal Marsden was also the first Trust in England to invest in the da Vinci Xi robotic surgery, and is now a national leader, o ering a comprehensive service across multiple tumour types.
Cutting-edge technology
The Royal Marsden’s radiotherapy department is one of the largest in the UK – treating up to 5,000 patients and delivering more than 75,000 treatments each year.
The Royal Marsden operates 11 linear accelerators. As a result, the Trust is able to deliver all forms of advanced external-beam radiotherapy, including
image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT); intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT); stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT); and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT).
Medical Director and Consultant Clinical Oncologist Dr Nick van As recently led research that demonstrated a targeted radiotherapy technique could cut treatment time for some prostate cancers from two months to two weeks. The results of the trial, PACE-B, demonstrated how developments in technology – such as SBRT – mean that clinicians can target tumours more eectively and with fewer side-eects.
The latest technology in radiotherapy is the Magnetic Resonance Linear Accelerator (MR Linac), which combines real-time imaging with pinpoint radiotherapy to target tumours more reliably and improve patient outcomes. With this new technology, clinicians can track tumours that move and change shape – even during treatment – to precisely target the radiation beam at the tumour and minimise damage to healthy tissue. Part of an international research consortium, The Royal Marsden is leading trials in seven centres worldwide to optimise MR Linac technology and allow oncologists to better target tumours that move in response to natural changes in the body, such as breathing, the bladder filling or bowel changes. Having treated the first patient in the UK and the third in the world on the MR Linac in September 2018, The Royal Marsden has started to treat patients across dierent tumour types, with a new trial for rectal cancer patients opening soon.
Cavendish Square
The Royal Marsden Private Care is due to expand its presence in London, with a new diagnostic and treatment facility opening on Cavendish Square. Located between Oxford Street and Harley Street, the new outpatients centre will oer patients fast and direct access to worldleading diagnostic experts, in an easily accessible and reassuring environment.
Multiple tumour types will be treated, including breast, urology, gynaecology
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3 Patients have access to a specially trained, multilingual team of sta that are on hand to oer support | 4 The hospital is a leader in robotic surgery | 5 Personalised care is at the heart of The Royal Marsden’s approach (PHOTOS: THE ROYAL MARSDEN)
6-8 At The Royal Marsden Private Care, Cavendish Square, patients will have access to better and more rapid diagnostics in the heart of London’s most respected healthcare district (PHOTOS: THE ROYAL MARSDEN)
Further information
For more information about The Royal Marsden Private Care or to refer a patient, please:
Visit: www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/ private-care
Email: int@rmh.nhs.uk
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and skin cancers. Patients can expect to have an appointment booked following their initial enquiry, with direct access to diagnostic services. There will be next-day appointments and sameday scans and results. In addition to consulting rooms, chemotherapy chairs and a minor procedure suite, the new centre will also have state-of-theart imaging facilities, including MRI, ultrasound, computerised tomography (CT), mammography and X-ray.
Improving patient access to better and more rapid diagnostics is a priority at The Royal Marsden, and Cavendish Square fits into a broader strategic priority to diagnose cancer faster and earlier. When a patient’s cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, there is a much greater chance of being able to treat the disease successfully, often with less invasive procedures and fewer long-term side eects.
Experts at The Royal Marsden are continually working to improve diagnosis – for example, pioneering genetic sequencing to identify targetable mutations, and regular screenings of those with a genetic predisposition to certain cancers. With the latest technology, clinicans can also carefully monitor patients for signs of relapse: the earlier clinicans pick up a recurrent cancer, the better the chance of successfully managing it.
This research backing really sets Cavendish Square apart – patients can feel reassured in the knowledge that their treatment and care is based on the latest advances in oncology.
Shams Maladwala, Managing Director, The Royal Marsden Private Care, says: “Cavendish Square is an exciting new development and will allow us to oer world-class standards of cancer care in the heart of London’s most respected healthcare district.
“As a specialist cancer centre, Cavendish Square will have the clinical expertise, facilities and technology to provide a leading service. Our multidisciplinary teams will be on hand to oer a personalised treatment approach; patients can be confident they will be seen in the right place, by the right person, at the right time.”
Rapid diagnostic breast care service Bupa Cromwell Hospital offers an end-to-end care pathway for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer
• Fully integrated service under one roof with rapid access • Appointment with breast consultant, mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy (if required) all take place on the same day • Led by breast consultants and supported by dedicated breast care nurse specialist • Expert multi-disciplinary cancer care on site in the event of a cancer diagnosis • Service available to everyone, whether using health insurance or self funding
Bupa Cromwell Hospital registered office 164-178 Cromwell Road, London SW5 0TU, United Kingdom. Bupa Cromwell Hospital Trading Companies: Medical Services International Limited, registered in England and Wales number 01416977 • Cromwell Health Group Limited, registered in England and Wales number 05687373. Call our appointments team on 020 7460 5700 or email appointments.team@cromwellhospital.com to discuss your healthcare needs
