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Sketch of the new Cancer Centre

World-class State Cancer Centre opens

Western Australia’s first dedicated State Cancer Centre will treat hundreds of additional patients each year and significantly reduce waiting times for cancer treatment.

In July, Health Minister Jim McGinty officially opened stage one of the new $12.3million centre at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, the first of two cancer centres to be built in WA.

The second cancer centre will be developed at the new Fiona Stanley Hospital in Murdoch, which is due to be open in 2011.

"The new state-of-the-art cancer centre at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital will deliver the best cancer treatment available in the nation, and significantly reduce the waiting times for patients," Mr McGinty said.

“The hospital currently treats about 1,800 cancer patients using radiation therapy each year, which equates to 34,700 treatment visits.

“With the opening of the new centre, an additional 610 cancer patients will be treated each year using cutting-edge radiation technology.”

The Minister said that while waiting times for routine radiotherapy patients were now at a five-year low, two years ago some patients were waiting more than six months for their treatment.

“With the opening of the new cancer centre the average waiting time is currently about six weeks for non-urgent therapy while all urgent therapy is done within 24 hours,” he said.

“By the end of this year we expect to wipe out the wait list for all cancer patients.”

Mr McGinty said the new centre housed three new linear accelerators, which were the latest models in cancer radiation treatment, known as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy.

“They can be used to treat most types of cancer and have the capacity to target tumours more accurately and avoid normal healthy tissue, giving patients a much better chance of recovery,” the Minister said.

“Ninety five per cent of the treatments will be carried out as outpatient appointments, with patients usually receiving daily radiation therapy for between four and eight weeks.

“This way, most patients are able to carry on with their daily lives as normally as possible. “

Planning for stage two of the cancer centre is currently underway, with construction scheduled to be completed by 2010 as part of the $536million redevelopment of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Mr McGinty said the State’s two cancer centres would provide the latest in radiotherapy and chemotherapy technology, as well as a range of nursing and supportive care services.

"Cancer is a sad reality that touches everyone's lives at some stage,” the Minister said.

“It is estimated that about 8,330 Western Australians will be diagnosed with some form of cancer this year, increasing to 9,200 by 2012.

“We want to offer WA cancer patients the highest level of care available to help them fight this devastating disease and give them the best chance of recovery.”