Health News For Erie St. Clair
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
London Health Sciences Centre
LHSC One of Few Hospitals in Canada Treating a Racing Heart Condition with Radiation
On October 14, 2025, George Westerik became the first patient at the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) to receive radiation – typically used for cancer treatment – to target a cardiac issue called ventricular tachycardia.
The treatment marks the first time that radiation therapy has been used to treat a heart condition at LHSC. The procedure is also the first milestone for the new cardiac treatment and research program at London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI) and Western University and was made possible through a $1.35 million gift from the H2HCo Foundation to Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
Ventricular tachycardia is a type of arrythmia where damage to the heart causes it to beat irregularly with the potential of leading to a heart attack. The innovative radiation treatment, called stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation (STAR), works by removing abnormal tissue in a small area of the heart responsible for the irregular heartbeat. Patients around the world have received this specialized treatment, but only a few centres in Canada offer it. LHSC is now one of those centres.
Dr. Anthony Tang, Cardiologist at LHSC and Researcher at LHSCRI and Western University, notes that addressing this condition and finding new therapies is crucial to supporting patient outcomes. “Many patients I see have their quality of life greatly affected by this heart condition,” says Dr. Tang, whose research is exploring the extent of the therapy’s effectiveness. “It’s hard for them to enjoy simple things like going for a walk because they don’t know when they will experience a dangerously fast heartbeat.”
Only one radiation session is needed to treat ventricular tachycardia. Westerik’s procedure took just six minutes and he was able to go home the same day. The treatment has stopped his arrhythmia and he has not experienced any negative side effects.
“I’d like to help my wife more around the house and play more with my grandkids,” said Westerik, when asked what he was most looking forward to if his condition was successfully treated.
For some patients, medication helps slow down the heart rate. Others require more invasive treatments like surgery to implant a cardioverter defibrillator, a device that delivers an electric shock to prevent a racing heartbeat, or a procedure called catheter ablation where heat or cold energy is used to remove abnormal tissue in the heart.
“Medications or ablations are all possible treatments, but they aren’t always effective and some patients aren’t eligible,” says Dr. Tang. “This new treatment offers a non-invasive option that we hope will prove effective in curing the arrhythmia.”
Dr. Tang and the team responsible for this innovation credit the strength of LHSC and Western’s expertise in cardiac care, imaging, and radiation oncology in making this new therapy possible.
“The idea of treating diseases other than cancer with radiation therapy is a completely new way of thinking,” says Dr. Belal Ahmad, Radiation Oncologist at LHSC and Researcher at LHSCRI and Western University. “Hearing the positive impact this treatment has had on George gives me hope that this could one day be part of the standard of care.”
The team will be moving forward with assessing the treatment through research to better understand long-term effectiveness and to continue enhancing the procedure before expanding the treatment to more patients.
Media Contact:
Jess Brady
Media Relations Consultant
London Health Sciences Centre
media@lhsc.on.ca
519-685-8500 ext 75369
226-927-7486
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