New cancer treatment will take your breath away
Scientists in Birmingham say they have proved cancer patients can be trained to hold their breath for more than five minutes to allow for more effective radiotherapy treatment.
The team, from the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, worked with 15 breast cancer patients in a three-year clinical trial.
Dr Mike Parkes, from the University of Birmingham, called it a "great success".
"Being able to hit the cancerous tumour accurately is essential to avoid damage to other areas," he said.
"Having a stable chest that we can target in one dose could be invaluable in protecting the surrounding tissue."
12 May 2016
- From the section Birmingham & Black Country