St John of God Subiaco Hospital recently passed a significant milestone, with Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT), being used to treat over 100 patients since it first became available in 2020. IORT means that radiation can be delivered in a single dose during surgery, instead of over multiple radiation sessions.
St John of God Health Care is the only private health care provider in Australia to have IORT available.
The 100th patient to receive IORT treatment at Subiaco, Aloka Dyhan-Ruehr, said the technology made a huge difference to her experience while going through treatment.
“With IORT you go for surgery, you’re done, then you leave. It gives you an opportunity to move on quickly with your life and almost forget about it. That is probably the biggest plus,” Aloka said.
“You also don't have the burning or discomfort that you get with long term radiation.”
Aloka knows better than anyone the difference that IORT makes, because she was also treated for breast cancer 6 years ago.
“I had DCIS [Ductal Carcinoma in situ] in my right breast, and had surgery and the 6 weeks radiation. So I've got this good yardstick to compare it to,” she said.
Aloka felt that being treated using the IORT technology provided some mental relief, as well as helping her to avoid physical side effects.
“I know the feeling of when you’ve got to plan every day, you've got to go to radiation. It kind of becomes the major thing in your life, it’s all that you can think about,” she said.
“But with IORT, you don't even know you've had it really.”
Now that she’s finished with treatment, Aloka is excited to be moving forward. She and her husband of over 20 years, Michael, are planning to enjoy life and even do some travelling.
“When you've got this diagnosis, you've got everything on hold,” she said.
“And then once it's clear, then you can move forward - enjoy life, enjoy my friends. I’m a meditator, so that’s my life too. Just enjoying every moment that I have.”
Aloka also expressed gratitude for the donors that made IORT technology possible at St John of God Subiaco.
“I felt very privileged and lucky, I'm thrilled that it was available. Thank you so much.”
We are so grateful to our amazing donors, who have helped to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients like Aloka through cutting-edge treatments and technologies.