beatson cancer charity MRI suite
beatson cancer charity
Beatson Cancer Charity is dedicated to ensuring people with cancer in the West of Scotland receive the very best care and treatment possible. We provide practical and emotional support to patients and relatives throughout diagnosis, treatment and beyond, helping them to face the many challenges associated with the condition and to live a full and meaningful life. We are also committed to improving cancer survival rates by supporting advances in technology and research that promise to transform prognoses for people with the disease. As an independent body working within NHS environments, Beatson Cancer Charity is ideally placed to understand the clinical and non-clinical needs of patients. Our role is to add a margin of excellence to the already outstanding work of The Beatson by providing enhanced services that are over and above the scope of the NHS. We believe everyone should experience cancer with care, with love and with hope. We are with patients and their families for every step of the journey.
beatsoncancercharity.org
message from the chairman
Jamie Matheson, Chairman of the Board, Beatson Cancer Charity.
On behalf of everyone at Beatson Cancer Charity, we are delighted to announce that our brand-new, life enhancing MRI scanner is now available for clinical use at The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. As a charity, we are constantly striving to break boundaries in cancer care. That’s why, together with the NHS, we have successfully funded Scotland’s first MRI Scanner dedicated to planning, to further enhance radiotherapy treatment for patients throughout Scotland.
Together with the NHS, Beatson Cancer Charity have been planning this extra special project for over three years. It is so gratifying to see the scanner now being implemented into clinical practice, improving the lives of thousands of people each year. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the generosity of our wonderful supporters who donated compassionately towards both the public and private appeal. From trusts to individual donors, our supporters were beyond charitable and supportive. We truly would not have been able to fund this ground-breaking piece of technology without you. We also would like to acknowledge the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Endowments Fund who funded 50% of the project. Finally, we asked donors to let us know what their personal hopes were for this MRI scanner. You’ll find some of their special reasons on the bottom of each page throughout this booklet. I do hope that you will be inspired by the messages and knowledge found within this brochure, whilst we continue to transform cancer survivorship for 20,000 people.
did you know The public phase of our MRI appeal broke astounding records, raising over £170,000 in donations. This is the most money ever raised from a Beatson Cancer Charity appeal!
“I hope this technology will encourage people to approach treatment knowing that there can be a life after cancer ” 1
transforming cancer care We know that radiotherapy is one of the most effective treatments for cancer. It works by beaming radiation directly into tumours, destroying cancer cells by irreversibly damaging their DNA. While the technology has advanced over the last century, it can still cause damage to surrounding healthy tissue which may lead to life-changing and challenging health complications. Chronic fatigue, incontinence, intestinal problems and sexual dysfunction are just some of the consequences of radiation that make life a daily struggle. For many survivors, these long-term effects can cause more distress than the cancer itself. This is why we were determined to find ways of targeting radiation more effectively on tumours while minimising harm to the surrounding healthy tissue. Indeed, this is one of the greatest challenges in cancer treatment today.
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MR scanning allows us to better visualise and target radiation to cancers while sparing nearby organs from its damaging effects. Over the next decade this service will offer over 20,000 patients a higher quality of survival by making full use of the technical advances in radiotherapy delivery. Dr David Dodds, Chief of Medicine, Regional Services, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
“I hope the MRI Scanner brings a brighter and better future for cancer patients ” beatsoncancercharity.org
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meet michelle gallagher, who raised over £10,000 for our mri appeal! Why did you choose to support Beatson Cancer Charity’s MRI Appeal? Four years ago, I lost my brother to lymphoma and two years ago I lost my sister after a short six week battle with lung cancer. When I heard about Beatson Cancer Charity’s appeal to raise £100,000 for a new MRI scanner to provide more targeted radiotherapy, I really wanted to help. I wanted to contribute towards better targeted treatments for more complex cancers.
What is your hope for the MRI scanner? I hope this scanner will allow more people to access more treatment options and allow more precise treatment for complex cancer groups.
Tell us about your project I pulled together a group of my lovely friends, better known as ‘The Angels’, and set a challenge of trying to raise £10K. Together we got motivated and creative! We collected donations of unwanted gifts (wine, toiletries etc) to create ‘lucky bags’ and sold them for £10. They went down a storm. We then set up a Facebook account and Instagram page to post updates and share our JustGiving page. The support that we received was overwhelming. We also asked a range of companies for raffle prizes and donations, hosting a grand raffle and auction in September 2021. We are over the moon to have met our £10,000 target!
“I hope this technology
Thank you so much to Michelle and The Angels, we’re beyond grateful.
will improve an already
remarkable service ”
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improving treatment through precision radiotherapy Beatson Cancer Charity had ambitious plans to establish NHS Scotland’s first MRI enhanced radiotherapy planning service by purchasing a dedicated MRI scanner. The higher definition of MRI scanning will enable clinicians to fully exploit the capabilities of the latest generation of radiotherapy machines already available at The Beatson, to sculpt the radiation beam with an unprecedented level of precision around the shape of the tumour. This will limit the exposure of healthy tissue to radiation and focus it more precisely where it will have greatest effect. The MRI scanner offers a huge advance in The Beatson’s ability to treat cancer with fewer harmful side effects. Many will experience enhanced wellbeing and quality of life after cancer. Those whose cancer is more aggressive or advanced may experience increased longevity and a better quality of life.
CT scan struggles to distinguish the tumour from soft tissue
CT scan with tumour highlighted
“I hope the MRI Scanner will help people like me ”
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impact on patients We are constantly striving to ensure that every person we treat has access to the most up-to-date, personalised treatment plan that will improve their outcomes and their future. By accessing new technology like this MRI scanner, we have the opportunity to build and adapt treatments in ways that we haven’t before. We are so excited that people living with cancer will now have access to this revolutionary piece of equipment, right here at The Beatson in Glasgow.
Patient Benefits include: Further treatment opportunities – It will allow more people to access new and emerging treatments that require a specifically accurate image of the tumour to work effectively. Increased precision – The high definition of MRI means that we can be even more confident that the treatment is targeted in the right place, where it will have greatest effect on the tumour. Enhanced treatment – The MRI scanner allows us to view and analyse tumours like never before. This means healthy tissue will be protected from radiation, reducing side effects from radiotherapy. Ultimately, this transformational technology will lead to better cancer treatment with fewer side effects.
This MRI scanner allows us to “visualise and outline tumours at a whole new level. Words cannot describe how valuable this is to future Radiotherapy planning and treatment. Eithne MacPherson, Head of Therapeutic Radiography.
“I hope this scanner brings a brighter future
for cancer patients and more positive outcomes ”
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impact Ground-breaking – This is the first scanner of its kind in Scotland, supporting our world-class radiotherapy programmes.
Scope – This MRI scanner will benefit 20,000 patients in the next 10 years. Patient Benefits – Benefits include treating more complex cancers, more precisely, avoiding healthy tissue to reduce side-effects.
Accessibility – The MRI Scanner offers access to new cancer treatment options and plans for children and adults.
Precision – MRI scanning allows radiotherapy to become even more precise offering more protection to healthy tissue.
Wellbeing – A comforting waiting area to ease any stress and anxiety before an MRI scan.
Research – The MRI Scanner will open doors to further research, allowing access to more clinical trials.
World Leaders – Beatson cancer specialists will now be able to educate clinicians around the globe in radiotherapy enhanced MRI scanning.
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The MRI Scanner will directly impact a number of cancer groups including:
• Abdominal cancers • Brain cancer • Breast cancer • Cervical cancer • Colorectal cancers • Gynaecological cancers • Head and neck cancer • Lung cancer • Prostate cancer • Spinal cancers
“I’m hoping for better targeted
treatment and reduced side effects ”
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floor plans of mri suite Rm 02
MRI Tech
MRI Tech Room 02
Rm 01
MRI Exam
Prep Area Rm 03
Prep Area
MRI Exam Room 01
Room 03
Rm 05
MRI Lobby
Rm 08
Room 08
MRI Lobby Rm 04
MRI Control
Room 05
MRI Control Room 04
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Change
Room 06
Rm 07
Rm 06
Access Change
Access Change
Change
Room 07
Beatson Cancer Charity’s supporters reacted passionately to our MRI Appeal. We simply would not have been able to install the ground-breaking MRI scanner without the generosity of thousands of our wonderful supporters. From social media to hand-written letters and phone calls, our donor engagement levels were higher than ever. This exceptional scope of communication, alongside the hundreds of messages of hope that we received, was a true reflection on how meaningful and significant this brand-new piece of equipment was, to people living throughout Glasgow and beyond.
2,111
individual donations
Average donation of
£73.74
We are so grateful to all of Beatson Cancer “Charity’s supporters for their generous donations towards this life changing MRI scanner. It’s so rewarding seeing the equipment being put into place, knowing that thousands of lives could be changed for the better.
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Ian Murray, Director of Philanthropy, Beatson Cancer Charity.
“I hope this MRI Scanner is a comfort blanket that gives strength and hope to fight the disease ” 9
future research
Dr Claire Paterson, Consultant Clinical Oncologist.
Professor Anthony Chalmers, Chair of Clinical Oncology (Clinical Trials Research).
Dr Marimuthu Sankaralingam, Head of Radiotherapy Imaging.
20% of the MRI facility’s capacity will be dedicated to research and development.
Beatson Cancer Charity and The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre have very close links with the Institute of Cancer Sciences, a world class cancer research institute, which sits within the University of Glasgow. This relationship ensures that cutting-edge research undertaken in the labs can be more quickly translated into clinical applications. When planning the programme, it was quickly established that 20% of the MRI facility’s capacity will be dedicated to future research and development. This research will have a focus on adaptive treatment – where clinicians can see in real time how the tumour is responding to treatment and make changes more quickly, ensuring patients get the right treatment faster. It also allows clinicians to offer more clinical trials, radical and emerging treatments that will offer hope to people whose options are currently limited. The research element is being led by Professor Anthony Chalmers, Chair of Clinical Oncology at the University of Glasgow. Professor Chalmer’s primary research interest is glioblastoma – a particularly aggressive brain cancer. He is leading clinical trials that are testing different combinations of radiotherapy and drugs, to try and find better ways to treat this disease.
“I hope this scanner helps
to save many more lives ” beatsoncancercharity.org
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Aileen Duffton, Lead Research Radiographer.
Barry Caldwell, Pre-treatment Lead Radiographer.
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thank you from beatson cancer charity and the beatson west of scotland cancer centre
We couldn’t have done it without you! WITH THANKS NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Endowments Fund Francis A Connolly Trust The Hugh Fraser Foundation The Wiseman Family Charitable Fund And the rest of our generous supporters who donated towards this truly special MRI Scanner.
“I hope the MRI scanner will provide hope and a better quality of treatment for the people of Scotland ” beatsoncancercharity.org
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Beatson Cancer Charity The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, 1053 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 OYN.
Office: 0141 212 0505 Email: info@beatsoncancercharity.org Online: www.beatsoncancercharity.org Facebook.com: beatsoncancercharity Twitter: @beatson_charity
Beatson Cancer Charity, Registered in Scotland as a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee. Company Number SC461242. Scottish Charity Number SC044442. Print sponsored by Arnold Clark