Life Rosepark Hospital has introduced two advanced radiotherapy techniques that promise more precise cancer treatment and better outcomes for patients in central South Africa. The hospital has begun offering Deep Inspiration Breath-Hold (DIBH) and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), becoming the first private facility in the region to provide DIBH and delivering its first SBRT course to a prostate-cancer patient.
DIBH is a technique designed primarily for patients with cancer in the left breast. It works by having the patient take a deep breath and hold it during radiation delivery, which temporarily moves the heart away from the treatment field. This allows doctors to target the tumour more precisely while sparing healthy heart tissue from unnecessary radiation exposure—a critical consideration for long-term cardiac health in breast cancer survivors. Several women have already been treated with DIBH at Rosepark since the technique was introduced.
SBRT, meanwhile, is a highly focused form of radiotherapy that delivers high doses of radiation to small, well-defined tumours in fewer sessions than conventional treatment. It is used for tumours in the prostate, lung, liver, spine, and other sites, and requires advanced imaging and immobilisation to ensure pinpoint accuracy. The hospital’s first SBRT patient, a man with prostate cancer, has completed his course of treatment.
The introduction of these techniques marks a significant step forward for cancer care in the Free State, where patients have historically had to travel to major centres such as Johannesburg or Cape Town for advanced radiotherapy. By offering DIBH and SBRT locally, Rosepark is reducing the burden of travel and improving access to cutting-edge treatment for patients in the region.
Hospital management described the development as part of an ongoing commitment to investing in technology and skills that benefit the community. For cancer patients in central South Africa, the arrival of these advanced techniques offers not only greater convenience but also the promise of more effective, safer treatment—closer to home.
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