Cancer Centre at London’s Bupa Cromwell Hospital: Private cancer treatment in London

Bupa Cromwell Hospital is internationally recognised as a centre of excellence in the treatment of cancer, with patients visiting the hospital from all over the world.

Bupa Cromwell Hospital was the first centre in the UK to install the revolutionary TomoTherapy Hi Art System and offer IMRT and IGRT as routine for many cancers.

The Hospital has specialist teams of doctors who work together in a multi-disciplinary approach to manage often complex cancers. They offer each patient – adult or child – the most appropriate treatment to enable less radical surgery, better results and a shorter hospital stay.

You will find a friendly, safe and comfortable environment, with a full range of specialist clinical support services including counselling, complementary therapies and their lymphodema service.

Cancer diagnosis at Bupa Cromwell Cancer Centre

This range of diagnostic equipment is vital as more than one type of imaging technique is often needed for proper diagnosis. Diagnostic imaging has now become so complex and specialised that the Bupa Cromwell Cancer Centre has formed a substantial team, including over 25 radiologists, who perform and interpret a varied range of examinations and diagnostic techniques. See diagnostic equipment for information about the range of diagnostic tools available at the Bupa Cromwell Cancer Centre. 

PET/CT scanner

The hospital has a state-of-the-art PET/CT scanner called the GEMINI™ "time of flight". This unique scanner merges two types of images, allowing doctors to detect cancer and pinpoint its exact location in the body. As well as detecting cancer at its primary site it is also able to detect if the cancer has spread to bone, liver or lymph nodes close by. Cancer may spread into tissues where it can be seen by PET, but not by CT or MRI scans. 

Read more about PET scans at Bupa Cromwell Hospital.

CT scanner

In 2011 the Cromwell installed one of the first high definition, low radiation CT scanners in London. It can carry out a full body scan in just 10 seconds providing high definition imaging in 4D enabling doctors to see small vessels as thin as a human hair, in any part of the body, and make a quicker diagnosis. 

Read more about CT scans at Bupa Cromwell Hospital.

MRI scanner

Read more about MRI scans at Bupa Cromwell Hospital.

Other diagnosis methods:

• Gamma camera: The gamma camera detects radioisotopes which are injected intravenously providing functional imaging of the body. It is a highly specialised procedure invaluable for locating secondary tumour sites (metastases) not visible by other imaging methods.
  
• Ultrasound: Ultrasound uses ultra high frequency sound waves and is useful in diagnosing cancer of the liver, pancreas, kidneys, ovaries, prostate and breast.
  
• Plain radiography and mammography: Plain radiography allows the detection of malignant abnormalities throughout the skeleton. Chest X-rays allow the examination of the lungs and heart, while mammography is an established method of identifying breast cancer.
  
• Barium techniques: Barium meals and enemas are performed to identify structural abnormalities throughout the gastrointestinal tract allowing the detection of cancers.

Cancer treatment in London

New developments and new ways of treating cancer are being discovered. Bupa Cromwell Hospital Cancer Centre is committed to remaining right at the forefront of private cancer treatment in the UK.

Gamma Knife Surgery

Gamma Knife Surgery or Radiosurgery is recognised worldwide as an accepted treatment for various brain tumours, including; cancer metastases in the brain; benign tumours such as meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, pituitary tumours and other head and neck tumours. Radiosurgery can also be used to treat trigeminal neuralgia and vascular malformations in the brain. One of the many benefits is that It enables neurosurgeons to treat many brain tumours that would otherwise be inaccessible for treatment. The first London Gamma Knife was installed at the Bupa Cromwell Hospital Gamma Knife Centre in 1998. Since that time they have successfully treated over 2,000 patients. 

Read more about gamma knife surgery at Bupa Cromwell Hospital.

TomoTherapy

The TomoTherapy Hi·Art System® is a new, revolutionary way to treat cancer with radiation. Using this system the physician can check the location of a patient's tumour before each treatment, then deliver painless and precise radiation therapy based on a carefully customised plan. The TomoTherapy Hi·Art System delivers a very sophisticated form of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). 

Read more about TomoTherapy at Bupa Cromwell Hospital.

The Radiotherapy Department has a team of over 25 radiologists to read and interpret the varied range of diagnostic scans, as well as other cancer related specialists including: dermatology, gastroenterology and respiratory medicine

Sentinel Node Biopsy

This represents a considerable advance in breast cancer management to enable therapeutic decisions to be tailored to individual patients.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the intravenous use of drugs to destroy cancer cells. The type of chemotherapy treatment given for cancer depends on many things, particularly the type of cancer. Often chemotherapy is used in conjunction with surgery and/or radiotherapy.

The Chemotherapy Day Unit at the Bupa Cromwell provides outpatient treatment from a dedicated team of nurses using the latest drug therapies.

Read more about chemotherapy at Bupa Cromwell Hospital.

Specialists in cancer treatment

The Cancer Centre at Bupa Cromwell Hospital prides itself on having highly-skilled, multi-disciplinary teams of surgeons and oncologists capable of treating a wide range of cancers. Many of their consultants are drawn from the major London teaching hospitals and have considerable experience in their particular area of expertise. The clinical and nursing staff work as part of a multi-disciplinary team ensuring that each patient receives the finest care and a comprehensive and personal treatment plan. 

Specialist clinical support services

A full range of support services including counselling and complementary therapies means the hospital is able offer a holistic approach to cancer treatment.