A SALISBURY bowel cancer patient who was the first person in the UK to receive radiotherapy during surgery using a revolutionary mobile device has returned to work.

Shane Rouse, from Gomeldon, underwent major surgery at Southampton General Hospital on January 5 when a full dose of radiotherapy was delivered in theatre.

Medics used Mobetron, the first portable system able to administer intraoperative electron beam radiotherapy (IOERT), an intensive form of targeted radiation.

Diagnosed with bowel cancer in January 2016, Mr Rouse completed a combination of conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy in August.

In early December, he was notified of his operation date to remove the tumour on December 19 but then five days before the operation date he received a phone call from his consultant offering him the chance to be the first person in the UK to try the new treatment.

Mr Rouse, a scientific advisor at Porton Down, said: “I’d just been getting ready for my operation, having waited since September, and I had to decide whether to delay my operation for a couple of weeks or not. To be the first person to try it was quite exciting but also quite scary as I didn’t know if it was going to work and what side effects there might be.

“The idea is they take out the tumour and then just to be on the safe side they give you this large dose of radiotherapy while in the operating theatre to get rid of all cancer cells. The machine can deliver a whole course of radiotherapy in less than an hour – it would normally take five weeks of daily small doses. On top of that they can direct the beam straight at the area that needs to be radiated.”

Reading up on the procedure, Mr Rouse discovered it had been used in the USA and Europe.

“I realised it was quite an established technique and used safely on people,” he said.

“I decided to take the chance – it’s far too early to say whether it’s been successful but SGH has given me the best chance of going many years without this cancer coming back.”

The procedure, which is not currently available on the NHS, is being funded by PLANETS, part of Southampton Hospital Charity.

The charity has enough funding to run the Mobetron system for two years but needs to raise a further £150k for the third year, by which time it is hoped the NHS will then fund it.

Mr Rouse, 58, who returned to work on Monday, said: “I am very lucky and grateful that my GP at Porton made a swift and early diagnosis, otherwise I am sure my outlook would not be so good. The Salisbury hospital colorectal surgery team and oncology team were also absolutely brilliant in getting me through the early stages of treatment, prior to my referral to Southampton for radiotherapy and surgery.

“It means both my wife and I can now approach the future in a more positive way.”