Icon opens Maitland’s first radiation oncology service

A new, world-class cancer centre has opened its doors for the local community, with Icon Cancer Centre Maitland now providing the latest in cancer care on-site at Maitland Private Hospital. The centre is the first to offer radiation oncology services locally and is set to save local patients up to 80 hours of travel time on average during the course of their radiation therapy treatment.

Icon Cancer Centre Maitland is home to state-of-the-art radiation therapy technology including a Varian Truebeam linear accelerator and has the capacity to treat more than 900 people each year. The centre is committed to providing affordable care for all patients, with no private health insurance required for radiation therapy and up to 80-90% of costs covered by Medicare.

“It is a pleasure to work alongside my colleagues and the compassionate care team at Icon Maitland to provide truly integrated care to our patients and support them from diagnosis through to treatment and beyond. Through our location at Maitland Private Hospital, we are proud to work in partnership with the hospital’s integrated cancer treatment services to ensure patients can access all aspects of multidisciplinary cancer care in the one location, including surgical oncology, medical oncology, haematology, pathology and supportive services.”

Reflecting on her cancer journey, Carla is proud to see the new Icon Maitland centre benefit her community as cancer incidence in Maitland continues to grow.

“I grew up in smaller country towns and now living in a regional area, I know all too well the difference it can make to have care available that bit closer where you don’t have to travel all the way into a major town or city. The worst thing is knowing you should be having treatment and can’t easily access it,” Mrs Bennett said.

“To have the option of avoiding travelling, especially when you’re not feeling well, and the knowledge that I can get treated quickly and in a timely manner gives me peace of mind. Greater access to cancer care means more patients can be treated now and in the future.”