CaRi-heart technology
Revolutionary new technology to assess the risk of a serious heart condition or heart attack – many years before anything happens.
MR-Linac Radiotherapy
- Advanced image-guided radiotherapy
- Real-time imaging during your treatment
- Daily adjustments to your treatment plan for exceptional precision during treatment
MR-Linac radiotherapy at HCA UK
Why choose us?
At HCA UK, we’re committed to investing in the latest technology so we can offer the most advanced cancer treatments. The Elekta Unity MR-Linac combines two technologies, an MRI scanner and a linear accelerator, to deliver radiotherapy with exceptional accuracy.
The MR-Linac allows your clinical team to see your tumour during treatment. This means our specialists can adapt treatment to your body and tumour each day, helping target the cancer accurately while reducing exposure to nearby healthy tissue. For some patients, this may also allow treatment to be given in fewer sessions.
An MR-Linac is an advanced radiotherapy system that brings two technologies together. First is the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner, which gives exceptionally clear images of soft tissue. The second is a linear accelerator (Linac), which delivers targeted doses of radiation.
By bringing these technologies together, the MR-Linac allows us to see and target the tumour clearly throughout treatment. This means we can adapt treatment in real time, minimising the impact to any surrounding healthy tissue.
During the procedure, you’ll lie on the treatment couch before being moved into the machine where the MR-Linac captures detailed images of your tumour and nearby tissues and organs.
Your team will make sure you’re as comfortable as possible throughout.
Using these real-time images, your clinical team can:
- Monitor the exact position of your tumour
- Adapt the treatment plan if your tumour has changed shape, size or position between appointments or during your treatment session.
- Precisely shape the radiation beam to match your tumour, minimising the impact on healthy surrounding tissue.
Each MR-Linac session usually lasts 60–90 minutes, although times can vary depending on your treatment requirements. The treatment itself is painless – you won’t feel the radiation, however you may hear the machine making a noise while it takes images.
The MR-Linac allows us to tailor each session precisely to your anatomy. This means you can benefit from:
Real-time adaptation
Tumours can change in size, shape or position between treatments. The MR-Linac allows us to precisely adapt your radiotherapy treatment plan with each session, helping ensure each treatment is precisely targeted and personalised.
Greater precision, fewer side effects
Exceptional imaging and continuous monitoring mean radiation can be focused more accurately during treatment, limiting exposure to healthy tissue, which in some cases can reduce unwanted side effects.
Fewer treatment sessions
Because treatment can be delivered so precisely, higher doses may be given safely in each session. This may mean fewer treatment sessions overall.
Effective for challenging tumours
The MR-Linac is particularly useful for tumours that move with your bodies normal functions, such as breathing or digestion. This is because the exceptional precision allows treatment to be delivered with minimal exposure to nearby healthy tissues and organs as your body naturally moves.
MR-Linac radiotherapy may be recommended by your clinical team when treatment needs a very high level of precision. This includes diagnoses where:
- Your tumour sits close to organs or structures
- Your tumour is more likely to move or change shape during treatment
- Your tumour is less clear to see and target accurately
- You’ve previously had radiotherapy to the same area
Because MR-Linac is not the right approach for every diagnosis, your consultant and the wider multidisciplinary team will review your diagnosis in detail and discuss whether it’s likely to be the most effective option for you. If another radiotherapy technique is better suited to your needs, they’ll guide you through that recommendation and be able to answer any questions you may have.
State-of-the-art technology
Across HCA Healthcare UK, we continually invest in the latest radiotherapy technology to bring you the best possible cancer treatments at the earliest opportunity.
Fast access to specialist care
With extensive diagnostic and treatment services across our network, we help you see the right cancer expert quickly, wherever you are in the UK.
Multidisciplinary expertise
Specialists from across our entire network collaborate to provide personalised treatment plans tailored to your unique needs.
Precision that puts you at the centre
MR-Linac technology combines real-time MRI imaging with radiotherapy treatment. This allows your treatment to adapt to your body as it moves and changes. It is treatment designed around you, helping protect healthy tissue while targeting your tumour with precision.
MR-Linac radiotherapy at HCA Healthcare UK
What to expect
When you choose HCA UK, we want you to feel supported and reassured at every stage of your care. Part of that is letting you know what to expect – even before your first visit. One way we do this is by explaining what to expect throughout your time with us. If you have any questions that aren’t answered here or in our FAQs below, please get in touch – our team is always happy to help.
01
Consultation
At your consultation, your chosen specialist will discuss your diagnosis, medical history and any previous treatments you’ve had.
They’ll discuss whether MR-Linac is an appropriate procedure for you, explain what the treatment involves, outline any potential side effects and answer any questions you have at this stage.
If you need further tests to confirm the type or stage of cancer, we’ll arrange these to take place as soon as possible.
02
Investigations and diagnosis
If you do need further tests, these results will be reviewed by a multidisciplinary team of cancer specialists. This review will help determine the most effective treatment plan for you.
If the MR-Linac is suitable for you, we’ll talk to you about the procedure and its benefits. If another radiotherapy technique would better meet your treatment needs, then we’ll talk you through that recommendation, explaining everything fully at every stage.
03
Treatment
Your treatment will be delivered by our highly skilled radiotherapy team, with your consultant overseeing every stage of your care.
Each MR-Linac session typically follows the process below:
- You'll be positioned carefully on the treatment couch
- The treatment table will then move into the MRI scanner
- We’ll use MRI scans to look at your tumour and surrounding healthy tissues
- If your tumour has changed shape or position, we will adapt your treatment plan
- We’ll carry out treatment according to your personalised plan
- We’ll use continuous imaging throughout treatment to ensure accuracy
The number of sessions you’ll need will vary depending on your diagnosis. Your team will explain your treatment schedule and will be able to answer questions you may have.
04
Follow-up care
Your care doesn’t end when your treatment does. We provide follow-up appointments, rehabilitation, wellbeing support and access to therapies that help you adjust and move forward. Our team will be here for you, offering guidance whenever you need it.
Accessing private healthcare
Health insurance
If your treatment is covered by insurance, your insurer will usually ask for a referral letter from a GP or consultant, and they’ll provide you with an authorisation code. You’ll need this code to book an appointment with us.
All our consultants are recognised by major medical insurers, and you can choose to be seen at an HCA UK hospital. Once you have your code, just give us a call and we’ll take care of the rest. Or if you prefer, you can book an appointment online.
MR-Linac radiotherapy FAQs
MR-Linac isn’t used for every type of cancer, but it can be especially helpful for tumours that are difficult to see on scans or that can change size, shape or position between, or during, treatment sessions. At HCA UK, MR-Linac radiotherapy will initially be used to treat prostate, liver and oligometastatic cancers (where cancer has spread to a limited number of areas).
Your chosen consultant will review your diagnosis, medical history and imaging to determine whether MR-Linac radiotherapy is the most appropriate option for you.
Conventional radiotherapy uses CT scans to understand the size and position of your tumour and plan your radiotherapy prior to your treatment. MR-Linac is different: it uses MRI imaging at the start and throughout each treatment session. This allows your clinical team to see soft tissues in exceptional detail and adapt your treatment in real time should your tumour move position.
This level of precision helps protect healthy tissue while accurately targeting the tumour with a high dose of radiotherapy.
Most patients can safely undergo MRI scans, and therefore MR-Linac radiotherapy. However, certain metallic implants, joint replacements or medical devices – such as pacemakers, older aneurysm clips or some cochlear implants – may not be MRI-compatible.
Your clinical team will go through your medical history and device information carefully to confirm that you can have MRI imaging.
We understand that MRI environments can feel challenging. MR-Linac sessions usually take between 60 and 90 minutes. If you experience claustrophobia or anxiety, please let your team know – we can offer support, guidance and strategies to help you feel more at ease during treatment.
The number of sessions you have will depend on your cancer type, its size and location as well as your personalised treatment plan.
MR-Linac treatment is often completed in fewer treatment sessions, as the real-time imaging means that higher doses of radiotherapy can be delivered safely. This can reduce the number of overall treatment sessions required. You may hear this referred to as hypofractionation.
Your consultant will discuss your specific treatment schedule with you during your consultation.
Yes, radiotherapy is a well-established, safe and effective form of cancer treatment. Modern radiotherapy uses highly precise technology and techniques, and individualised planning to target only the tumour area, protecting nearby organs. Radiotherapy, like other cancer treatments, does have the potential for side effects, but these are generally confined to the area being treated.
Side effects vary depending on the treatment area and your individual circumstances, but due to the very targeted nature of MR-Linac treatment you may experience fewer treatment related side effects.
Your clinical team will discuss potential side effects specific to your treatment plan and will support you in managing them if necessary.
No. MR-Linac treatment itself isn’t painful. You’ll need to lie as still as possible during the session, which some patients find uncomfortable, but your clinical team will help ensure you’re positioned comfortably.
Most patients can continue with many of their usual activities after MR-Linac treatment.
You may experience some fatigue as treatment progresses, so it’s important to listen to your body and rest when you need to. Your clinical team will offer personalised advice and guidance on activity levels, work and exercise based on your individual treatment plan and how you're responding to treatment.
No. MR-Linac uses external beam radiotherapy, which means the radiation doesn't stay in your body after treatment.
You can safely be around other people, including children and pregnant women, immediately after your treatment session.
In some cases, yes. MR-Linac’s high precision and continuous imaging make it possible to treat certain areas that previously received radiotherapy, a process known as re-irradiation.
The real-time imaging allows your clinical team to carefully avoid healthy tissue that may have been affected by previous treatment. Your consultant will assess whether re-irradiation is appropriate for you.
We recommend comfortable, loose-fitting clothing without metal fastenings. We may ask you to change into hospital scrubs (similar to loose fitting pyjamas) depending on the area of your body being treated. Please avoid wearing jewellery, watches or anything metal on treatment days as these will need to be completely removed.
Where can I get my MR-Linac radiotherapy treatment?
We offer MR-Linac radiotherapy through our expert team at The Harley Street Clinic in London, where you’ll receive fully personalised care and support throughout your treatment.
Harley Street Outpatients, Leaders in Oncology Care
Chemo Day Unit 81 Harley Street W1G 8PP London
“Radiotherapy has come a long way since it was invented in 1896 - we have moved far beyond what could ever have been imagined then. The technology and techniques used in radiotherapy have evolved dramatically, and with careful planning we can now deliver extremely precise treatment, using higher doses in fewer treatment sessions.
The Elekta Unity MR-Linac represents the next major step forward. With real-time imaging, we can now see the tumour at the exact moment we are treating it. Much like a surgeon during an operation can pause and adapt based on what they see in real time, for the first time we can do the same with radiotherapy. This means that now, for cancers that are difficult to reach, MR-Linac technology allows us to go beyond what was previously possible. We can now see and ablate tumours that would once have been considered untreatable.”