Media Release: FUNDING KEEPS CANCER DIAGNOSIS ON THE CUTTING EDGE

FROM THE ACTING PREMIER

DATE: Tuesday, January 8, 2008

FUNDING KEEPS CANCER DIAGNOSIS ON THE CUTTING EDGE

Patients at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre will have access to the best diagnosis possible with the installation of a new $3.5 million imaging system, Acting Premier Rob Hulls announced today.

Visiting the cancer centre with Health Minister Daniel Andrews to announce funding for the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, Mr Hulls said it would provide a far more efficient and accurate diagnosis of patient conditions.

“This new high-performance MRI system will more accurately locate and diagnose both routine and hard-to-detect conditions, providing more detailed images,” Mr Hulls said.

“It will enable diagnosis of up to 30 patients per day, compared with the current system which is only capable of handling around 12 patients each day.

“The old system was at the forefront of diagnosis technology when it was installed in 1995, but MRI technology has advanced rapidly since then.

“The Brumby Government is providing the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre with a $4 million boost including the new MRI machine, giving the hospital the most modern technology now available, and ensuring that Victoria remains at the forefront in technology for the detection and treatment of cancer.”

Mr Hulls said the centre was also being given a further $441,000 in other medical equipment, comprising $125,000 for patient monitoring equipment, $170,000 for an operating room microscope and $146,000 for an anaesthetic machine.

“The Government has invested significantly in both imaging and radiotherapy equipment, and this new MRI system is further evidence of this,” Mr Hulls said.

MRI is a diagnostic procedure in which radio waves and a powerful magnet linked to a computer are used to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures can show the difference between normal and diseased tissue.

Mr Andrews said the extra funding would strengthen the fight against cancer, which is the leading cause of death for Victorians, with one in three affected by the disease.

“We’ve invested more than $40 million in infrastructure for radiotherapy and every year we spend approximately $600 million to treat cancer in our Victorian public system,” Mr Andrews said.

“The funding of a high-performance MRI at Peter Mac represents the latest advance in clinical technology and the ability to provide even greater detail in the images that our medical professionals are analysing.

“This latest announcement supports the Brumby Government’s commitment to improving care for cancer patients in Victoria.”