8/26/2025
ZABOK, Croatia – Just months after opening, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at Zabok General Hospital is expanding access to the most advanced radiosurgery services for people across Croatia with the introduction of the Varian TrueBeam® stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) system. The new system delivers radiosurgery treatment with pinpoint accuracy and image-guided precision in a shorter amount of time than current conventional treatments.
“For the first time in this region, people no longer need to travel far or face long waiting times to receive one of the world’s most advanced cancer treatments,” said Marko Bebek, M.D., Ph.D., medical director, Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at Zabok General Hospital. “This innovation brings highly precise, life-saving cancer care close to home.”
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at Zabok General Hospital, whose grand opening was celebrated in March by government officials, local hospital leadership and patient advocacy groups, is located in Krapina-Zagorje County, outside of Zagreb. UPMC is working with Zabok General Hospital and other local partners to improve access to world-class cancer care in Croatia.
With extended wait times in the past for radiosurgery, the arrival of this advanced system and the expertise of a dedicated Croatian oncology team supported by UPMC specialists will meet urgent local health needs and improve people’s quality of life.
The SBRT and SRS system can treat hard-to-reach tumors in the brain, lungs, head and neck and other areas in the body. Importantly for people undergoing treatment, it also reduces the time and number of visits needed — what used to take 20 to 45 individual treatment sessions can now often be completed in as little as five or even one session.
“UPMC Hillman was among the first cancer centers in the United States to treat patients with SBRT, and we set a goal to expand this treatment internationally, including in Croatia,” said Heath Skinner, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Radiation Oncology chair and chief medical officer of the Radiation Oncology Network for UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. “For the right patient, SBRT can deliver radiation with pinpoint accuracy, targeting the tumor while sparing surrounding healthy tissue and significantly decreasing the number of treatments needed.”
This month, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at Zabok General Hospital successfully treated its first patient using SBRT. The procedure was led by Dr. Bebek, in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of experts based both in Croatia and at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center global headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“Behind this milestone is meticulous planning, cross-continental collaboration and unwavering dedication from both the Croatian and American teams,” said Dr. Bebek. “From training to treatment delivery, every step has been guided by a focus on safety, quality and clinical excellence to provide the best outcomes for people here in Croatia.”
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is internationally recognized for its expertise and commitment to bringing advanced cancer care to local communities. UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at Zabok General Hospital is the sixth UPMC Hillman location in Europe — joining nearly 80 centers within the UPMC Hillman network across the northeastern United States, Italy, Ireland and now Croatia.
PHOTO DETAILS: click image for high-res version
Caption 1: The new SBRT and SRS system at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Zabok targets hard-to-reach tumors, cutting treatment from up to 45 sessions to as few as five — or even one.
Credit: UPMC
Caption 2: The expert, compassionate team at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at Zabok General Hospital is committed to caring for people across Croatia.
Credit: UPMC
