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Cardiologists and radiation oncologists from Perth鈥檚 (FSH) and have treated a heart disease patient with a non-invasive technology most commonly used to treat cancer. The team of doctors used SABR (stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy) to treat a patient with a life-threatening arrhythmia known as ventricular tachycardia (VT), which causes improper electrical activity in the heart that results in a rapid heart rate and cardiac arrest.

SABR is a targeted treatment most commonly used to deliver high doses of radiation to kill tumours without exposing surrounding healthy tissue. The technique allows doctors to target areas of the heart, not accessible with conventional treatment, with precise beams of radiation.

Patient Sherralee McMahon is reported to be the second person in Australia to access this form of therapy. Prior to the procedure, McMahon suffered from multiple episodes of arrhythmia daily, ICD shocks and hospital admissions. Due to multiple c-morbidities, she was deemed unsuitable for a heart transplant.

The team consisted of cardiologist Dr Ben King, senior physicist Simon Goodall, radiation therapist Anna Ellison and radiation oncologist Dr Tee Lim. The procedure was carried out in close collaboration with Washington University of St Louis, where the technology was developed.

鈥淰entricular tachycardia can have a terrible impact on a patient鈥檚 quality of life, causing frequent heart palpitations, breathlessness, chest pain and painful defibrillator electric shocks. In some cases it can also lead to mental health issues,鈥� Dr King explained.

鈥淚f left untreated, VT can be a serious life-threatening condition causing heart failure or cardiac arrest.

鈥淪tereotactic ablative radiation therapy for patients with VT is a relatively new concept and has only been carried out on approximately 80 patients worldwide.

鈥淪ABR offers a viable non-invasive option for patients with cardiac arrhythmias who are too sick for invasive treatments or where other treatment options have been unsuccessful or inapplicable.

鈥淐ompared to surgical options, SABR is a completely non-invasive treatment which takes only between 10 and 20 minutes, meaning patients can return home to their loved ones as soon as possible,鈥� Dr King said.

The procedure was carried out at Fiona Stanley 黑料吃瓜群网 in mid-July and the patient has experienced a promising response to date.

鈥淭he patient is recovering well and is actually looking to travel to Broome in the next week for some much-needed sunshine and family time,鈥� Dr King said.

Dr Lim said, 鈥淚t was fantastic partnering with our cardiologists to offer stereotactic radiation therapy to Sherralee and I鈥檓 looking forward to collaborating on many more of these procedures in the years to come.

鈥淐ancer and heart disease are two of the biggest health burdens facing this country, so to find a treatment that is effective for both of these patient populations is absolutely fantastic.鈥�

Image credit: 漏stock.adobe.com/au/maxsim