MRI-guided stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is an advanced, highly precise form of radiotherapy delivered using innovative MR Linac technology.

The advanced MR Linac combines a radiotherapy machine with built-in MRI technology, enabling clinicians to target tumours with exceptional precision while protecting surrounding healthy tissue and reducing side effects. This personalised approach allows focused treatment to be delivered in just a few sessions.

It allows clinicians to see and adapt treatment in real time, helping them target pancreatic tumours with confidence. The MR Linac is used for inoperable pancreatic cancers, where real-time imaging and adaptation help improve precision in challenging or hard-to-reach areas. For some patients, this can open up treatment options where others are limited or not possible.e.

If you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you may be exploring your treatment options or comparing what’s available – from surgery to different forms of radiotherapy. For some men, the goal is to find a non-invasive approach that still offers precision and control.

The MR Linac may be suitable if:

• Your cancer is contained within the prostate (localised)
• Your prostate size is within a suitable range
• Your urinary symptoms are mild or manageable

It may also be an option if you’re looking to avoid surgery or reduce the impact of treatment on your daily life.

Your consultant will assess your individual diagnosis and overall health to confirm if treatment on the MR Linac is appropriate for you. Get in touch to see if the MR Linac is right for you.

Unlike standard radiotherapy machines, the MR Linac allows clinicians to see the prostate as they treat. This means treatment can be adjusted as it happens to match any small movements in the body.

This helps ensure the radiotherapy is delivered very precisely to the area being treated, while reducing the amount of radiation to surrounding healthy tissue, helping to reduce side effects.

The MR Linac offers patients with prostate cancer:

• Precise targeting to help protect nearby organs such as the bladder and bowel
• Reduced side effects, particularly related to bladder, bowel and sexual function
• Short treatment course, typically completed in just five sessions
• Non-invasive approach, with no surgery and no hospital stay
• Adaptive delivery, with adjustments made at each session using real-time MRI
• Optional dose escalation, allowing higher precision to more active areas of the tumour
• Fast access to treatment, with care starting soon after referral and completed over a short timeframe

This approach helps balance strong treatment outcomes with everyday impact, helping you continue life with less disruption, while still treating the cancer precisely.

If you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, it’s natural to compare approaches before deciding on a treatment plan. For many patients, the MR Linac offers a less disruptive alternative to surgery or conventional radiotherapy.

Surgery

Surgery involves removing the prostate and is a major operation. While it can be effective, it also comes with a recovery period and a risk of side effects such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.

The MR Linac offers a non-invasive alternative that avoids surgery and removes the need for hospital admission or surgical recovery time.

Conventional radiotherapy

Conventional radiotherapy is usually delivered over 20 sessions spread across several weeks. It is planned using CT scans, which give a detailed picture of the body but don’t show soft tissues as clearly as MRI.

Because of this, it’s less able to show small day-to-day changes during treatment compared with the latest MRI-guided approach.

This is how the MR Linac is different, because it allows clinicians to see the tumour in real time and adapt treatment as it happens. That means:

• Delivering treatment in fewer sessions
• Using real-time MRI to guide each session
• Adjusting treatment daily to account for movement
• Reducing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue

This shorter treatment schedule can mean less disruption to your day-to-day life, while the precision of treatment helps to minimise side effects for many patients.

Ultimately, the right option depends on your individual diagnosis and priorities. Your consultant will walk you through how these options compare based on your specific diagnosis.

We were the first independent healthcare provider to introduce the MR Linac technology to the UK. Since then, our experts have built extensive experience delivering MRI-guided SABR to treat prostate cancer with precision and care.

We have treated over 1,000 patients with prostate cancer using the MR Linac across our centres in Surrey, Oxford and Cromwell Hospital, London.

Treatment is planned by a multidisciplinary team of leading specialists who work together on every case to ensure treatment on the MR Linac is appropriate, safe and tailored to each individual diagnosis.

We support patients from across the UK, with treatment available at our specialist centres and guidance provided throughout their cancer care. Support with travel arrangements may be available, depending on treatment requirements and location.

We’re recognised by all major health insurers, with self-pay options also offered.

If it helps to hear what this experience is like for others, you can explore stories from patients, like Geoff, who have undergone their treatment on the MR Linac over just five treatment sessions for prostate cancer – in their own words.