New radiation treatment facility at St George’s Cancer Care

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Prime Minister opens new radiation treatment facility at St George’s Cancer Care

Prime Minister John Key this morning opened a new radiation treatment facility at St George’s Cancer Care – The Glasson Centre in Christchurch.

The purpose-built, single-storey building will replace the underground treatment bunkers damaged in the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. It is connected to the existing centre and is part of the Hospital’s ongoing $130 million redevelopment.

Timaru contractor Neville Forrest is one of nearly 200 patients who have received radiation treatment in the new facility, which has been operational since March.

Neville was first diagonsed with prostate cancer eight years ago and was given the all clear after surgery. However an abnormal blood test in August signalled the need for intensive radiation treatment to target any remaining cancer cells.

Neville finished his treatment today (Friday, 4 November), which involved daily radiation treatments for five days at a time, over seven weeks.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers treated at St George’s Cancer Care, along with bowel and breast cancer. This year alone, nearly 400 patients from throughout the South Island have undergone radiation or chemotherapy treatment at the facility, with the majority aged between 45 and 80.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in New Zealand and is tipped to be the defining health issue of the next decade.

Leading oncologist Associate Professor Chris Atkinson says the new radiation treatment suite is a welcome addition to Canterbury’s health system, as the demand for cancer treatment services continues to grow.

Under collaborative working arrangements, some public patients are managed and treated at St George's Cancer Care to best use all the available facilities and resources of the combined Canterbury health system.

“Earlier diagnosis, improved survival rates and advanced technology means more people are now living with a diagnosis of cancer and requiring ongoing treatment, monitoring and support,” says Chris who, along with fellow oncologist Dr Chris Wynne, was instrumental in establishing the centre in 2010.

Latest figures from the Ministry of Health reveal that survival rates after diagnosis have increased, with the number of people surviving for five years after initial diagnosis rising from 57.7 percent in 1994 to 63.3 percent in 2011.

St George’s Cancer Care provides a new approach to treating cancer, adds Chris.

“First of all we have put the word cancer in our name – not oncology or some phrase that people don’t understand. The fact that we are unembarrased about the word cancer is quite important, as we need to start regarding the cancers like many other chronic conditions,” he said.

“We now live long enough to get cancer and don’t die of infectious diseases like our grandparents did. You are either living with or after cancer, but the fact is that you are living and this requires a different approach to treatment and ongoing care.

“Additional wrap-around services we offer, including dietary advice, speech language therapist consultations, exercise classes, physiotherapy and psychologist consultations, ensure patients and their whanau are supported during their cancer journey. We are looking after some patients for the rest of their lives.”

Practice Manager Viv Ali says the new radiation treatment building is part of the Centre’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technology.

“This new facility means patients continue to benefit from cutting-edge technology and advanced treatment protocols,” she said.

Earlier this year, St George’s Cancer Care began offering Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR), a highly-focused treatment that gives an intense dose concentrated on a tumour while limiting radiation exposure to the surrounding organ.

It has been labelled by medical professionals as a ‘quantum step forward’ in terms of tumour control.

For St George’s Cancer Care patient Neville, the facility has been a welcome respite during his seven weeks of treatment.

“The staff are all angels to be honest. They really put you at ease,” he says, adding that cancer was not something he ever thought of before his diagnosis.

“When I was first diagnosed I was absolutely blown away because I had no symptoms and it was only because my GP offered regular blood tests that it was picked up. It is not until you are undergoing treatment that you realise how prevalent cancer is, and how many people are living with it.

“In fact many men with prostate cancer now die with it, not because of it.”

-ENDS-

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