OncoSil for locally advanced pancreatic cancer
OncoSilTM is a new type of cancer treatment for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. By shrinking tumours and making them suitable for surgery, OncoSil can help treat pancreatic cancer much faster than traditional radiotherapy.
Quick facts
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Fast refferal
Get seen and treated within 14 days
What is it for?
To treat locally advanced pancreatic cancer
Treatment overview
Locally advanced pancreatic cancer is where cancer has spread from the pancreas into nearby large blood vessels and possibly lymph nodes.
The cancer may also have spread into the stomach, bile duct or small bowel but not to other organs or areas of the body.
Your consultant may recommend OncoSil with chemotherapy to treat your locally advanced pancreatic cancer if it can’t be removed with surgery (also known as locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer).
OncoSil is a device that delivers a high dose of radiation inside your body and directly into your cancer. A procedure that’s a type of brachytherapy.
Once inside your tumour, the radiation starts to destroy cancer cells. This can lead to the shrinking of your tumour, which may mean it can be removed with surgery.
Your OncoSil treatment will only take 30 to 45 minutes and it’s unlikely you’ll need to stay overnight, but your doctor will assess you to check this.
At The London Clinic, you’ll receive personalised treatment and care that puts your wellbeing and recovery at the heart of your experience with us.
Contact us today to find out if OncoSil is right for you and start your treatment journey with confidence.
Why choose The London Clinic
Excellence in one place
We operate as teams of experts with world-class resources dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of medical care. You are surrounded by the latest treatments and advice with everything you need to get back to your best health.
Personal care, every time
Exceptional patient care is a way of life for us. Our nurses, clinicians and support teams are dedicated to the care of a very small number of patients, so have more time for you. They’ll be with you every step of the way, tailoring your care around you and giving the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing you’re in the best hands.
Effortlessly simple
We work together as one to guide you through each step of your experience, with complexities unravelled and answers readily to hand. Your personal treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
What's included in your package?
Choosing The London Clinic means your treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
Your treatment package will include:
- Enhanced pre-admission assessment
- Your treatment with our complete care team at your fingertips
- Personalised aftercare and follow-up
We want you to be in control of your health. That’s why we also offer optional services such as comprehensive recovery packages and extra touches for you to choose from during your stay with us.
How to pay
- You can use private medical insurance (PMI) to access this treatment. We work with all major PMI providers in the UK and many internationally
- You can pay for yourself (self-pay)
- If you’re paying for yourself, we have finance options available with Chrysalis
FAQs
OncoSil treats locally advanced pancreatic cancer by delivering a high dose of radiation precisely into your tumour, and this minimises any damage to your healthy tissue.
The procedure starts with inserting a long, thin, flexible tube into your stomach or small bowel.
A needle is then inserted through the tube and into your tumour.
A fluid featuring tiny particles is then injected directly into your tumour. These particles contain a radioactive material called phosphorus 32.
The particles stay in your tumour and start to deliver radiation to kill cancer cells and stop them multiplying, so your tumour gets smaller.
Because OncoSil delivers radiation so precisely, and the radiation in phosphorus 32 doesn’t travel far, your surrounding organs and normal cells are less likely to be damaged.
As the cancer cells die, your tumour may start to shrink. This may mean you can have surgery to remove your tumour, which wasn’t possible before OncoSil treatment.
The main benefit of OncoSil is that it can lead to more people surviving locally advanced pancreatic cancer.
This is because OncoSil is good at shrinking tumours and making them suitable for removal through surgery.
In a clinical study, around 33% of people treated with OncoSil became suitable for surgery, compared to 10% treated with conventional chemoradiotherapy.
There are risks and side effects with any treatment. Your consultant will talk you through these and the benefits of OncoSil treatment, so you can make an informed choice.
With OncoSil treatment, most people do not experience side effects that are harmful. However, you may be affected by:
the medicine used to calm you when the flexible tube is inserted into your stomach
the process of putting the needle and radioactive material into your tumour
You will need some rest and recovery time after your OncoSil treatment, and we will provide painkillers to support you if needed.
Nuclear medicine and oncology consultants, who are world-leading experts in OncoSil, will oversee your treatment at The London Clinic.
Your dedicated care team will guide you through what to expect, talk about your recovery plan and answer all your questions.
As one of our patients, you’ll also benefit from extra touches such as meals that are tailored to support your recovery.
Following your treatment, we’ll give you advice on radiation safety and a contact number to call at any time if you’ve any worries or have a question.
Your consultant will provide advice on symptoms to look out for and explain when you should get in touch immediately. They’ll also keep in touch to ensure everything goes smoothly after OncoSil treatment.