3D printing brings precision to cervical cancer care in Kelowna

With the use of a 3D printer, imagination is often the only barrier to innovation.

In Kelowna, the technology is helping revolutionize the treatment of cervical cancer.

“The lead physician and I were often frustrated by patients’ diseases where we couldn’t get sufficient radiation into the entire tumour,” said Dr. Deidre Batchelar, medical physicist at BC Cancer.

Dr. Batchelar spent several years lobbying for funding and even wrote specialized software for the project.

“We dreamt, starting very early, of being able to devise a device that would allow us to place radiation throughout whatever shape the tumour is,” she explained.

With the use of a patient-specific MRI in CT scans, the 3D printer creates a custom personalized applicator for brachytherapy, a specialized form of internal radiation treatment.

Applicators are inserted near cancerous tissue and then guide the angle and the depth of radiation treatment needles to the most effective spot to kill the tumour.

“We are not really decreasing the amount of radiation that is prescribed to the tumour, but by making it more precise, we are ensuring that we are hitting the target with the dose that is needed,” said Dr. Hamad Raziee, radiation oncologist at BC Cancer.

The new custom applicators are printed to fit the patient’s unique body and specific contours of the tumour, targeting cancer with an unprecedented level of accuracy.

“Delivering it in three fractions is often more challenging because it’s harder to deliver the dose we want while protecting the normal organs nearby,” Dr. Batchelar said.

“We have had several patients for whom using a cylinder has allowed us to get that difference between what we’re doing to the tumour and delivering to the organs.”

The innovative tech, purchased through the BC Cancer Foundation’s equipment fund, was used in 31 procedures in 2025.

But with 250 British Columbians diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, the team in Kelowna is already working towards seeing this advancement made available across the province.

“Yeah, it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my career,” Dr. Batchelar said.