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GenesisCare and Ramsay Health Care announce new partnership to provide world-class radiation oncology treatment in Perth

Sep 17, 2020

A partnership between Ramsay Health Care, and Genesis Care, will see Hollywood Private Hospital become Western Australia’s first private “one stop shop” for cancer care.

For the first time, patients at Hollywood will have access to radiation therapy onsite enabling them to receive comprehensive integrated cancer care with medical and radiation oncologists, haematologists, surgeons, radiologists, nurse specialists, clinical trial researchers, allied health and mental health professionals all on the one campus.  

Patients previously had to travel offsite to undergo radiation therapy, adding to the already significant emotional and physical toll of cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly for those receiving palliative care. Providing access to a “one-stop” cancer centre will help to minimise the burden on patients and their families. 

The new radiation oncology centre will incorporate the latest technology and will offer comprehensive and evidence-based care delivered in a multidisciplinary setting to provide the best possible life outcomes for patients. 

This includes cutting-edge radiotherapy, delivered by a state-of-the-art linear accelerator, the Elekta Versa HD with the Brainlab ExacTrac Xray System, capable of delivering advanced stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). 

Cancer is a leading cause of death in Western Australia, accounting for approximately three in every 10 deaths, with an estimated 12,300 cancer cases diagnosed annually.1 The two most common cancers in WA men and women respectively are prostate cancer,2,3 accounting for nearly 30 per cent of cancer cases in men,2 and breast cancer, with one in 10 women diagnosed before the age of 75 years.3 

The new state-of-the-art radiation oncology centre will have a strong focus on prostate and breast cancer, aligned through Ramsay Health Care employed nurse care coordinators and specialist breast nursing service, helping patients navigate seamlessly through the comprehensive cancer care pathway involving allied health care providers, clinicians and specialty services, including partnering with the Breast Cancer Research Centre WA for additional dedicated breast care nursing support. 

Carmelo Arto, CEO of Breast Cancer Research Centre - WA, Perth said: “Affording local breast cancer patients access to multidisciplinary care, including research, treatment, support services, cutting-edge radiation technology and specialist nurses, all in one place, is critical to improving outcomes and we welcome the news of the new radiation oncology centre in Perth.”

Local breast cancer patients will also have access to innovative high-precision radiation treatments including revolutionary new thermal-surface camera technology, which works in tandem with real-time X-Ray tracking for improved accuracy. Unique radiation tracking technology will also be available to treat patients across breast, prostate, lung, skin and brain cancer, eliminating the need for permanent tattoo markers used in traditional radiation therapy. 

Hollywood Private Hospital CEO, Peter Mott, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with GenesisCare to ensure cancer patients are able to receive rapid access to radiation therapy as part of our integrated comprehensive cancer centre. 

“GenesisCare will be joining a highly skilled network of clinicians at Hollywood who collaborate closely with one another to deliver the highest quality multidisciplinary and holistic care to our patients.” 

Louise Coffey, Acting General Manager for GenesisCare Oncology in WA, said: “GenesisCare is the leading provider of radiation oncology services here in Western Australia and our commitment and investment in people, platforms and process is unrivalled. 

“We provide comprehensive care and lead the industry in providing access to the latest technology and in the development of new techniques. As a result, we have extensive experience in the delivery of a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art modern treatment modalities, which will be available at the new radiation oncology centre at Hollywood Private Hospital,” said Louise Coffey. 

“We are excited to be partnering with Ramsay Health Care to ensure cancer patients in Perth are able to receive the highest quality of comprehensive cancer care, closer to home.”

Not only will local patients gain improved access to cutting-edge treatment, but also the opportunity to participate in a broad range of radiotherapy clinical trials, with a dedicated clinical trials and data manager support to coordinate a clinical and technical research program.

GenesisCare is continuing to develop a ‘Rapid Access Pathway’ for patients requiring palliative care, to significantly reduce the time from consult to treatment. 

The new radiation oncology centre will be equipped to deliver treatments for around 1,000 Western Australian patients annually.