Icon Group to provide Australia’s first skin brachytherapy treatment

The treatment is non-invasive, giving suitable patients an effective alternative to surgery and is now available at Icon in Greenslopes Private Hospital.

With more than 350,000 non-melanoma skin cancers treated each year the need for skin cancer services is great. This treatment uses low energy x-rays to target the cancerous site, with the ability to treat multiple lesions at once and a reduced chance of scarring.

The treatment only takes a few minutes per day, with a couple of sessions a week across several weeks depending on the patient and type of skin cancer. The treatment has minimal recovery periods and improved cosmetic results. This Esteya machine is the first in Asia Pacific and only the 11th machine in the world.

Greenslopes Private Hospital CEO Tim Daniel welcomed the arrival of Australia’s first Esteya machine.

“We have a 70+ year history of fostering innovation and offering high quality services to our patients. When it comes to cancer treatment, Greenslopes Private Hospital is committed to delivering a wide range of options in a comfortable and supportive environment. ROC’s skin brachytherapy service gives patients another early intervention and choice in the treatment of their non-melanoma skin cancers,” said Mr Daniel.

The Esteya machine is highly mobile, allowing for ease of access and precise accuracy to the cancer site.

This treatment will be suitable for patients with non-melanoma skin cancers up to 5mm in depth and 2cm in diameter. It will have the capacity to treat around 40 patients a day and is also an affordable option with low out-of-pocket expenses.