Our history

X-rays were discovered in 1895 and 1896. They were being used to treat, as well as imaging, the body. Barts was one of the first hospitals to use this technology and developed itself as a centre in the early part of the 20^th Century. Dr Neville Finzi pioneered the department and the early methods of treatment including 'The Finzi-Harmer fenestration technique' to treat small cancers.

Staff at The London in the 1920’s were the first to use radium in the treatment of cancers. In 1936 Barts was the first centre, outside the USA, to install a Million Volt Linear accelerator – the forerunner of the types of machines used worldwide today.

In 1960 a new department opened at Barts, which has continually been updated and modified technically, to provide some to the best radiotherapy available in the UK.

Barts and The Royal London Hospital's radiotherapy departments merged in 1994. With the development of Barts cancer and cardiac unit, all radiotherapy facilities transferred to the Barts site in 2001.

It maintained its pioneering reputation through the second half of the 20^th Century using, amongst other advances, hyperbaric oxygen treatment, lens sparing radiotherapy (for the treatment of retinoblastoma eye tumours) and was the first department in London to develop and use stereotactic radiotherapy for brain tumours.