Participant story
John Frasier
Sydney, NSW
John Frasier was one of the first patients to sign-up to TROG's SPARK trial at Westmead Hospital. This trial is investigating the use of new technology to improve the accuracy of radiotherapy for prostate cancer patients reducing treatment from 40 visits to just five.
The 70-year-old, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, said the reduced number of hospital visits was a key attraction.
“I had cancer in my lymph nodes about 15 years ago (and was cured) but I had to have radiation therapy so I knew about the treatment and what was involved,” he said.
“When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I asked to see a radiation oncologist to discuss non-invasive options - they put me onto SPARK.
“I really like the high-tech nature of this treatment; it’s fantastic to be involved in something where constant study is happening, which will hopefully lead to improvements in the field.”
The trial uses an Australian-developed technology called Kilovoltage Intrafraction Monitoring (KIM) to assess the position of the cancer in real-time, enabling the treatment team to redirect the radiation beam if the cancer moves - even by just a few millimetres.
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