Cancer patients in Maitland and surrounds will benefit from GenesisCare's new integrated cancer centre and research hub, near the new Maitland Hospital.
The centre, which officially opened on Wednesday, February 2, will give patients access to seven senior doctors providing radiation therapy, medical oncology, advanced imaging, pathology, and allied health services.
GenesisCare also operate a cancer centre at Gateshead, and the Metford location is expected to cut down travel time for patients, helping to ease the burden they are already facing.
Site director, Associate Professor Peter O'Brien, said less travel time will mean more lives saved.
"This access issue cannot be over-emphasised, and regrettably that's what the data shows from all over Australia - the further you live from a cancer centre, the less likely you are to be cured of your cancer," he said.
Medowie resident, Michael Callaghan, is one of the centre's first patients and said the new location has cut his travel time to access cancer treatment down from one hour to just 20 minutes.
"It's fantastic, the trip from Medowie to Metford is a nice back road drive, it's so peaceful," he said.
"This facility is fantastic for the community, this is a god-send and it's going to open so many doors to so many people for treatment."
Member for Maitland, Jenny Aitchison, said she has been a long time advocate for cancer services to be provided in Maitland and is particularly pleased about the research hub.
"Participation in trials saves lives and improves patients' outcomes. In my own experience, I know that being part of a clinical trial helped me detect my cancer earlier," she said.
The centre is home to a highly advanced linear accelerator, capable of delivering the latest radiation therapy treatment techniques, as well as a high-resolution PET-CT scanner used for cancer detection, monitoring, and treatment planning.
Patients will also have access to VMAT (Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy), for non-melanoma skin cancers, including basal cell carcinomas (CCC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC).
Founder of Mark Hughes Foundation, Mark Hughes, said having grown up in the coal fields and going to school in Maitland, the region means the world to him.
"Cancer is a tough diagnosis to process for the patient, family and friends. We now have a world class facility so that we can take on this disease head on in our own backyard, give it our all, never give up and be surrounded by our families and friends close by," he said.
"This will make a huge difference for so many."
