Cancer patients in Hampshire to benefit from new device

Patients at University Hospital Southampton are set to benefit from a high-frequency jet ventilator <i>(Image: PLANETS)</i>
Patients at University Hospital Southampton are set to benefit from a high-frequency jet ventilator (Image: PLANETS)
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More patients across Hampshire are set to benefit from advanced cancer treatment.

A new high-frequency jet ventilator is being introduced at University Hospital Southampton to support complex liver tumour procedures.

Funded by PLANETS Cancer Charity, the Monsoon IV device is designed to keep patients in a controlled breath hold for up to 90 minutes, allowing for more precise tumour ablation.

Dr Brian Stedman, consultant interventional radiologist at the hospital and co-founder of PLANETS, said: "The Monsoon IV allows us to keep the liver almost completely still for prolonged periods, giving the clinical team greater accuracy and confidence when treating more complex tumours."

READ MORE: New treatment service available for breast cancer patients in Southampton

Tumour ablation is a minimally invasive technique that destroys cancer cells using heat or freezing and relies heavily on patient immobility.

The ventilator, costing nearly £50,000, is expected to increase both the number and complexity of cases who can receive treatment.

Layla Stephen, PLANETS director of strategy and finance, said the equipment will "make a real difference to patient care".

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