The Breast And Cancer Centre in Ringwood East will open next week

MAROONDAH will be home to the state’s best facilities for breast cancer treatment when a $10 million centre opens next week.

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MAROONDAH is set to be home to the state’s best facilities for breast cancer treatment when its dedicated centre opens next week.

The Eastern Health Breast And Cancer Centre in Ringwood East will take its first patients on April 6, with an official opening planned for July. The $10 million centre at Maroondah Hospital took 18 months to build and was funded by the State Government.

Maroondah Leader was given an early tour of the centre last week, which is fitted out with state-of-the-art equipment, a pink, green and beige colour scheme, and plenty of natural light.

It includes three lounge areas and a balcony, along with dedicated rooms for ultrasounds, consultations, allied health, group education, treatments and procedures.

The Eastern Health Breast And Cancer Centre.

There is also a meeting room fitted out with televisions and live streaming capacities, allowing multiple specialists to gather and make quicker decisions on a patient’s course of treatment.

Eastern Health’s associate program director of specialty medicine Ged Millard said the centre would streamline and speed-up a patient’s treatment process.

Eastern Health's Ged Millard and Julia Dale are excited about the opening of the Breast and Cancer Centre in Ringwood East on April 6. Picture: Kiel Egging

“It’s much more patient-focused than our previous model,” she said.

“They can see a surgeon, a medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, a breast care nurse and a wellness co-ordinator all in the one day.”

Five full-time breast cancer nurses will work at the centre, and the centre expects to take 12,000 consultations, screen more than 10,000 women, and treat 350 new patients each year.

“What this facility allows us to do is to tailor our treatment to our patient’s wants and needs,” Ms Millard said.

“I certainly believe it could be a hub for breast cancer treatment and research in Victoria.”