Raising the bar: Icon Cancer Centre London sets a new gold standard in UK radiotherapy

Icon Writers / 07 Nov, 2025

The landscape of cancer care in the United Kingdom is undergoing a transformative shift, thanks to the pioneering efforts of Icon Cancer Centre London backed by Icon Group’s global network.

By introducing the full suite of Varian’s (a Siemens Healthineers company) precision treatment and imaging technologies, supported by Radformation’s AI solutions, patients will be treated in a matter of days with treatment lasting only a few minutes. This is a significant improvement on the current UK patient experience, which often involves weeks or months of waiting, and each treatment can take over an hour.    

Icon is setting a new gold standard for radiotherapy, bringing the latest care, support and benefits to cancer patients nationwide. 

A full suite of world-class technology 

Icon Cancer Centre London is the first and only provider in the UK to offer the complete range of Varian’s advanced radiotherapy and imaging products. This includes: 

  • RapidArc Dynamic™ (RAD) (Advanced Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy – VMAT): Delivers highly precise, high-dose radiation in a single field using dynamic beam modulation, reducing exposure to organs at risk by up to 50% and accelerating plan optimisation by up to 70%. This means shorter treatment sessions and improves operational efficiency. Icon was the first in the southern hemisphere to install RAD at Icon Cancer Centre Midland, Western Australia and has treated more patients on this technology than any other provider globally. Further to this, Icon is part of Varian’s RAD Consortium helping support ongoing data collection and clinical assessment to drive this technology forward.  
  • HyperArc™ (Stereotactic Brain Radiosurgery – SRS): Enables fully integrated, single-isocentre, multi-lesion treatment for intracranial tumours, reducing treatment times and improving accuracy through automated planning and delivery. Icon’s global network of clinicians and radiotherapy professionals are highly experienced in HyperArc and have treated over 35 brain metastases in a single treatment.  
  • HyperSight™ (Advanced Cone Beam CT Imaging – CBCT): Provides high-resolution, diagnostic-grade imaging with a large field of view, improving visualisation and dose calculation accuracy for adaptive planning, while reducing imaging time by up to 50%. In 2023, Icon was one of the first in the southern hemisphere to deliver HyperSight at Icon Cancer Centre Holmesglen, noting a deep experience in the technology.  
  • IDENTIFY™ (Surface Guided Radiotherapy – SGRT): Offers tattoo-free patient setup, real-time motion tracking, and automated beam hold for enhanced treatment accuracy and safety. Supports delivery of an advanced stereotactic program, and future maskless workflows to improve patient experience without impacting accuracy.  
  • Radformation’s AI suite: Transforms planning efficiency and adaptive care. Proactively adapts plans to anatomical changes, maintaining prescribed dose precision across all fractions with remarkable time efficiency. AI contouring reduces contouring time by up to 60%, ensuring consistent, precise and efficient treatment plans. This year, Icon Group was named a Radformation Centre of Excellence, demonstrating a commitment to product testing, development of case studies and research projects.  

What this means for cancer patients 

The integration of these technologies is more than a technical achievement; it’s a leap forward in patient-centred care. They offer:  

  • Greater precision: Advanced imaging and delivery systems enable clinicians to target tumours with unprecedented accuracy, sparing healthy tissue and reducing side effects across a range of tumour types, including breast, prostate, head and neck, cranial, chest, abdomen and pelvis. 
  • Shorter, more comfortable treatments: Innovations like RAD and HyperSight mean faster sessions and less time spent in treatment, minimising the risk of motion-related inaccuracies and patient discomfort.
  • Personalised, adaptive care from consult to treatment: AI-driven planning and adaptive assessment allow for real-time adjustments to treatment plans, ensuring that each patient receives the optimal dose, even as their anatomy naturally changes and moves across treatments. AI software is also decreasing time taken to develop and check plans resulting in quicker time to treatment.  
  • Enhanced patient experience: Tattoo-free setups, future maskless workflows, and real-time motion management improve comfort, experience, and safety, making the treatments less daunting. 

Remote training, planning, and workforce capabilities 

To meet the rising demand for cancer care, Icon leverages its global footprint and advanced digital infrastructure to deliver: 

  • Remote training: Icon’s international education programs and virtual remote training platforms ensure clinicians and support staff are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills, wherever they are based. 
  • Centralised planning: Sophisticated global remote planning capabilities allow Icon’s expert teams to collaborate across borders, delivering high-quality, consistent treatment plans for patients in any location, taking advantage of time zones to deliver plans overnight ready for clinical review and first treatment, faster.   
  • Workforce flexibility and agility: Icon’s global mobility workforce model enables rapid deployment of expertise and resources, supporting local teams and ensuring continuity of care even in times of increased demand or workforce shortages. 

A global meeting the challenges of rising cancer demand 

With centres across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and now the UK, Icon’s international network unites world-class expertise, evidence-based protocols and a shared commitment to innovation, ensuring people can access the best possible care, wherever they live. 

Supported by more than 450 clinicians and leading industry partnerships, Icon delivers first-to-market technologies, advanced techniques and emerging treatments worldwide, adapting to local policies and healthcare landscapes. 

Through our global partnership with Varian and Radformation, we not only adopt the latest advancements but also drive collaboration, research and education to enhance industry practice and shape the future of cancer care—today. 

Setting a new standard 

By bringing together the latest in radiotherapy delivery, imaging, and AI-driven planning, Icon Cancer Centre London is not just raising the bar for UK cancer care — it’s redefining what excellence looks like on a global scale. 

For patients and their loved ones, this means access to treatments that are more precise, more efficient, and more compassionate than ever before, backed by the strength and expertise of a truly international network. 

As the UK embraces this new gold standard, the future of radiotherapy looks brighter, offering renewed hope and better outcomes for those facing cancer. 

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