Cobalt treatment starts at CUH
She was the last patient to be treated on a Cobalt treatment machine at Cork University Hospital (CUH), which is the only public centre outside Dublin offering patients radiotherapy.
“This marks the end of an era as Cobalt units have been used in Cork for treating patients with cancer for more than 40 years,” said Derry Little, CUH’s radiotherapy services manager.
Cobalt machines have been prone to breakdowns in recent years and the new €1.5 million linear accelerator will mean shorter and better quality control of treatment sessions.
It was a good day for the hospital’s oncology unit following last month’s resignation of clinical medical oncologist Dr Oscar Breathnach, frustrated with that lack of funds.
Dr Breathnach campaigned unsuccessfully for four years for a dedicated cancer ward at the hospital.
He is due to leave his position in July. A spokesperson for the Health Service Executive (HSE) Southern Region said it was hoped a locum would be appointed before his departure.
The new machine switched on yesterday brings to three the number of linear accelerators at CUH.
A fourth maching is expected to be up and running by November.
Plans to double the size of the unit to eight machines, which would make the hospital the largest centre for radiation treatment in Ireland, have been submitted to the Department of Health for approval.
