Discomfort for cancer patients in Sassari . Critical issues, the AOU reports, are due to the technological renewal process of the radiotherapy equipment . A year ago, the new Radixact linear accelerator (helical tomotherapy) was inaugurated, and the launch of the new platform required an implementation and validation phase, necessary to ensure patient safety .
The company reports that the operation is carried out with a single linear accelerator operating on two shifts daily, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with part of the time allocated to quality control and technical checks required by law and necessary for the proper functioning of the equipment. The complexity of these checks has caused delays in completing the equipment renewal program, thus causing a progressive increase in waiting lists .
Currently, the AOU reports, there are approximately 130 patients waiting for treatment , a situation that in some cases leads to treatment times exceeding those considered appropriate for oncology. "We deeply understand the distress and anxiety that delays can cause for those undergoing oncology," explains Salvatrice Campoccia, director of Radiotherapy Oncology at the AOU of Sassari . "We share the concerns expressed by patients and their families and maintain constant contact with all those treated, informing them of the evolution of the waiting lists and possible care options." The additional problem lies in the installation of the second linear accelerator, the Varian TrueBeam, originally scheduled for completion by the end of 2025, which has instead been postponed again.
"The protection of cancer patients is an absolute priority for this department," stated Lucia Anna Mameli, Medical Director of the AOU of Sassari. "We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis and evaluating all possible organizational and networking solutions to ensure that no patient's treatment is compromised. Relationships with other radiotherapy centers in Sardinia will be strengthened, and, where necessary, collaborations with facilities across the mainland will be explored to ensure access to treatment within the clinically appropriate timeframe."
Meanwhile, for patients already under care, the Radiotherapy Unit continues to complete all the preliminary procedures necessary for treatment planning and ensures constant information on expected treatment timelines and any available care options. The Radiotherapy Unit at the AOU, a leading provider for northern Sardinia, treated 640 patients in 2025, 366 for curative purposes and 274 for palliative purposes, for a total of 7,215 radiotherapy sessions . The main pathologies treated included breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, lung, head and neck, and prostate cancers.
