More western suburbs cancer patients will receive improved
treatment close to home, thanks to the rollout of cutting-edge radiation
therapy at Sunshine Hospital.
While the hospital’s intensity modulated therapy has been
restricted to prostate cancer patients since being unveiled six months
ago, acting site director and radiation oncologist Phillip Tran said the
program would be expanded to treat other forms of cancers.
The technology means patients will no longer have to travel to the Peter MacCallum Hospital in East Melbourne for the therapy.
“We will be expanding to cover other forms of cancer, like breast
cancer, which is the most common cancer we treat at Sunshine Hospital,”
Dr Tran said. “A safe bet is that we will start doing that next year.”
The technology allows for more accurate doses of radiation in treating tumours.
“This new technology minimises the side-effects of treatment on
healthy tissue (more) than the more traditional methods,” Dr Tran said.
Raymond Kay, 78, of Keilor Downs, was among the first patients to
receive the treatment after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer four
months ago. He finished his treatment at the beginning of August.
Mr Kay said being able to undergo treatment close to home allowed him to continue his work laying floor coverings.
“I don’t know much about the scientific side of things, but I do
know I’ve had no side-effects over the course of my treatment,” he said.
Dr Tran said Sunshine Hospital could eventually provide up to 900 courses of radiotherapy every year.
Meanwhile, Brimbank council has approved plans for a double-storey medical centre in Sunshine that will house 14 practitioners.
The approval follows concerns that some motorists may attempt to
avoid traffic lights by cutting through the centre’s car park from
Ballarat Road on to Northumberland Road, increasing the chance of
accidents.
Objectors also cited a possible “over-provision” of health facilities, with two new medical centres approved within a three-kilometre radius and eight medical centres and 41 doctors within a five-kilometre radius.
