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The first NHS patient has received treatment on the cutting-edge ViewRay MRIdian technology, thanks to a new partnership between the University of Oxford, Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust and GenesisCare.

ViewRay MRIdian machine © Genesis Care

The partners, with the support of the John Black Charitable Foundation, have collaborated to establish a ten-year programme of clinical treatment for NHS patients, with further research into improving cancer treatment using the Viewray MRIdian.

Due to the natural, unavoidable movement of soft tissue inside the body, normal tissue around the cancer can be exposed to radiotherapy treatment, particularly when targeting soft-tissue tumours deep within the body. It can be challenging to visualise these organs during radiotherapy with routine radiotherapy delivery.

The ViewRay MRIdian machine is the only one of its kind in the UK, with only 41 machines worldwide. It allows doctors to see the normal soft tissue and the tumour in real time by combining MRI scanning with targeted radiotherapy. Incorporating MRI scans will allow doctors to then tailor doses in real time to the specific internal anatomy of the patient on the day of treatment.

Read the full story on the Cancer Research UK Oxford Centre website.