Budget 2017: $68m revolutionary brain cancer facility to be installed at SAHMRI 2 in Adelaide

CHILDREN with inoperable brain cancers will receive revolutionary treatment in Adelaide when Australia’s first lifesaving Proton Beam Therapy facility opens in 2020.

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CHILDREN with inoperable brain cancers will receive revolutionary treatment in Adelaide when Australia’s first lifesaving Proton Beam Therapy facility opens in 2020.

Ahead of Tuesday’s federal budget, Health Minister Greg Hunt has promised $68 million for the facility, which is likely to be housed in a second South Australian Health and Medical Research building, known as SAHMRI 2.

The therapy is a more targeted way to treat cancers that are near vital organs or the spine, and it is less likely to damage healthy tissue. A particle accelerator targets tumours with the proton beam.

Currently, people needing the therapy can apply to the Federal Government for funding to travel overseas; others have mortgaged their homes to pay for it. Treatment overseas costs up to $200,000.

The Proton Beam Therapy facility likely to be housed at SAHMRI stage 2

Mr Hunt said it was the “next wave” of cancer treatment, and he hoped that while the SA facility would be the first, it wouldn’t be the last.

“This won’t solve everything, but it is an important additional tool in the fight against cancer,” he said.

“In many cases, if it isn’t available in Australia, people might not take it up at all — it may be too expensive or it could impact the credibility of the treatment. This — in particular for children and infants — is very important. It’s an alternative to conventional radiotherapy.”

Last year, Flinders University withdrew an offer to contribute $60 million towards a new facility because the Federal Government had not promised the money, even though the Coalition was enthusiastic about the idea and still considering the funding. Lobbying from SA Senators Simon Birmingham and Nick Xenophon and from Boothby MP Nicolle Flint helped.

Senator Xenophon said he felt “very emotional” after “a lot of hard negotiations” to get the funding.

“This will save the lives of many thousands of Australians and prolong the lives of so many more,” Senator Xenophon said.

“We will be a beacon of hope, not just for Australia, but for the entire region.”

The State Government has been looking at the idea for a decade and will be responsible for the infrastructure around the facility.

Premier Jay Weatherill said it was an “outstanding result” for the state. “People will travel from across Australia to receive treatment here in Adelaide. We will be a world leader,” he said.

“Importantly, this unit will also help create highly skilled jobs for South Australians.”

SAHMRI executive director Steve Wesselingh said if they could build SAHMRI 2, it would be an “enormous event” making Adelaide a centre of excellence for the treatment.

The 12-storey building would have three floors for the facility, with the rest of the building dedicated to research on the therapy, models of care, and other uses.

Professor Wesselingh said they would also likely attract industry bodies into the precinct.

Originally published as Budget 2017: $68m revolutionary brain cancer facility to be installed at SAHMRI 2 in Adelaide