Try your hand at virtual reality cancer treatment on World Radiography Day

As part of World Radiography Day, members of the public are being invited to try their hand at a virtual reality system at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) used to train radiographers in the treatment of cancer.

Between 11am and 2pm on Friday 8th November 2013, in the East Atrium at the NNUH, radiographers will be explaining the treatment they give to patients and the role they play in radiotherapy delivery, using the latest of a Virtual Environment in Radiotherapy Training equipment (also known as VERT).

The VERT equipment will be demonstrating how radiotherapy targets tumours using high energy x-rays (high-dose radiation) and radiographers will be on hand to explain the technical and complex nature of radiotherapy used at NNUH. VERT offers a unique insight into seeing how radiotherapy works using advanced 3-D projections and computer modelling.

Jenny Tomes, Head of Radiotherapy said: “Visitors will be able to see how radiotherapy is used to treat specific areas of the body, anyone who is interested in this area are welcome to attend to try their hand on the VERT equipment and gain unique insight.”

NOTES TO EDITORS
The date marks the anniversary of the discovery of x-radiation by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895.

The cancer centre at NNUH has some of the very latest hi-tech radiotherapy equipment in Europe. In early 2005 the department started an IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy) programme and this is now routine treatment for those patients who require it.

This means radiographers who deliver the radiation treatment can more precisely target and the shape the radiation dose to the tumour site. The department was also the first in the UK and only the second in the world to commission portal dosimetry as the technique for individual patient quality assurance of IMRT treatment.