SOUTHEND Hospital has become a global front-runner in radiotherapy treatment, thanks to the installation of one of the biggest scanners in the world.

Patients will benefit from the new large bore computerised tomography (CT) scanner which can give doctors a three-dimensional image of tumours.

This means consultants can target radiotherapy treatment far more accurately, with less damage to surrounding tissue.

The £600,000 scanner works like a normal CT scan, except that patients can be scanned in the actual treatment position.

Until the new equipment arrived, patients with breast cancer, lung cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma were unable to extend their arms while being scanned, because of the size of the equipment.

Southend's new large bore CT scanner is only the second to be installed in the country and is big enough to allow patients greater movement inside it.

The £600,000 machine's special software allows doctors to simulate tumours' size and volume, which then lets them plan treatment more effectively.

James Green, consultant clinical scientist at the hospital, said: "We are very excited about this new piece of kit.

"It is the first CT simulator we have had at Southend and it complements our existing conventional simulator."