Gippsland Cancer
Care Centre
The Gippsland Cancer Care Centre (GCCC) is located on the Latrobe Regional Hospital site at the Traralgon West campus.
The Gippsland Cancer Care Centre is the region's "one
stop shop" for cancer care, providing comprehensive treatment in the
areas of radiotherapy, oncology and chemotherapy.
The GCCC is expected to treat between 30 and 40 cancer
patients per day, or an equivalent of 450 treatment episodes per year.
Treatment will be provided for most common adult cancers including prostate,
breast, lung and bowel cancers.
Patients with rarer cancers or more complex needs may have
to travel to Melbourne; however LRH remains committed to expanding its range
of treatments in the near future.
Partnership of knowledge
A number of years ago, the William Buckland Radiotherapy
Centre at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne expressed a interest in partnering
with Latrobe Regional Hospital to provide radiotherapy services for the
people of Gippsland.
This opportunity became possible with State and Federal
government funding of stage one of the Gippsland Cancer Care Centre.
Radiotherapy facilities now operating from the Gippsland
Cancer Care Centre are staffed by a combination of Latrobe Regional Hospital and William Buckland Radiotherapy Gippsland personnel.
Oncology
Oncology is the study, diagnosis and treatment of cancerous
tumours.
The Gippsland Cancer Care Centre has two oncologists on
site - Dr John Scarlett, a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist.
As a medical oncologist, Dr Scarlett specialises in
treating cancers with medication and chemotherapy.
A radiation oncologist specialises in treating cancer using
radiotherapy.
The treatment used depends on the type of tumour identified
and its location.
Treatment programs may require immediate chemotherapy,
radiotherapy or a combination of both treatments.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are used as the first methods
of treatment for a number of cancers.
They can also be employed as a palliative solution where
the disease is incurable but treatment would improve or prolong the quality
of life.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy uses radiation to target malignant cells and
is a primary therapy against most common types of cancer.
Radiotherapy treatment can be combined with surgery and
chemotherapy to increase a patient's prospect of recovery.
During radiotherapy, a uniform dose of high-energy x-ray is
shaped to form a beam that exactly matches the patient's tumour.
The targeted beam ensures that only the tumour is affected
and healthy tissue is left intact.
Chemotherapy
The Gippsland Cancer Care Centre's combination of
experienced staff and new facilities enable patients to undertake
chemotherapy in a safe, friendly, caring and comfortable environment.
Chemotherapy uses chemical medications, called cytotoxic
drugs, to treat cancer.
Most chemotherapy drugs work by impairing mitosis (cell
division) and target fast dividing cells.
As these drugs target the fast dividing cells they can also
affect those cells, responsible for hair growth and the replacement of the
intestinal lining.
The treating oncologist can alter a patients drug treatment
to minimise drug side effects.
Psychologist Clinic at the Radiotherapy Unit
Cancer Care Nurses
Gippsland Regional Integrated Cancer
Services
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