At GenesisCare, we provide specialist cancer care to thousands of people worldwide. We offer cutting-edge, innovative cancer treatments that are clinically proven to be safe and effective. 

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is a highly targeted radiation treatment that can be used to destroy tumours in just a few clinic visits. MRIdian is the latest type of radiotherapy machine capable of providing SABR which can see and adjust for every movement during treatment using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This makes MR guided SABR a very safe and precise way to treat tumours of the kidney. This ground-breaking new treatment is now available at GenesisCare. 

The MRIdian is one of the first of its kind in the world. It combines a powerful radiotherapy machine (called a linear accelerator or linac) with MRI technology to produce live, detailed images of your internal organs and tissues during treatment. 

Tumours of the kidney can be difficult to target with other types of radiotherapy machine because they move during normal breathing and are near other unaffected organs. MRIdian MRI-guided radiotherapy is able to turn on the radiation beam only when the tumour is positioned precisely in the treatment window and turn off the beam in an instant if the tumour moves even by a fraction – helping to protect normal tissue from unnecessary radiation exposure. No other radiotherapy technology in the UK is currently able to achieve this. 

GenesisCare is an expert provider of SABR treatments and has invested in the MRIdian to offer our patients access to this latest, world-class treatment here in the UK.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a cancer of the kidney affecting people of all ages. Surgery has long been the main form of treatment for an RCC localised to your kidneys – this means where the cancer has not spread elsewhere in your body. You may however have other health problems, such as cardiovascular problems or obesity, meaning surgery is not advisable or not possible, or you may simply prefer to not have surgery. 

Less invasive RCC treatments are available, such as cryotherapy, ablation or embolisation, however some are limited to the treatment of smaller tumours only and they still require you to have a general anaesthetic. Tumours placed centrally in the kidney usually require the whole kidney to be removed. With SABR, only the tumour is targeted, with the remaining kidney spared, therefore retaining function while providing an excellent treatment.

The MRIdian is available at our centres in Oxford and Cromwell Hospital in London – the only two in the UK. This world-class radiotherapy system is designed to safely treat such cancers without the need for a general anaesthetic or surgery. MRIdian treatment is also suitable for patients on blood-thinning medication (anticoagulants) without the need to stop or alter your treatment.  

Renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) have traditionally been difficult to treat with radiotherapy because they were considered to be resistant to conventional doses of radiation. However, SABR is delivered at very precise target areas using a much higher dose than conventional radiotherapy, meaning it can more effectively destroy tumour cells. Studies show excellent results with cancer control for SABR in the kidney. SABR for RCC has been shown to be effective and well-tolerated with manageable side effects. It preserves kidney function with outcomes that are similar to other treatments. [1]

The kidneys are close to other tissues and organs which are sensitive to radiation injury, and the high doses of SABR makes it all the more important to protect these tissues. Delivering SABR using MRI-guided technology such as the MRIdian can help to protect these tissues and limit side effects and risks.