Radiation Oncology Victoria

News

• December 2011

  East Melbourne Consulting Suites Move

  The consulting suites in East Melbourne, 132 Grey Street, is moving to its new location in 182-184 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne from December 2011. Phone and Fax numbers will remain the same. All existing patients will be contacted with the change of address, and referring specialists have been informed of the move. Please see the East Melbourne link for further details about the new rooms.

• October 2011

  

  ROV and Genesis Cancer Care Merge

  Australia’s leading cancer care provider, Genesis Care, today announced the 100 percent acquisition of Radiation Oncology Victoria (“ROV”). As Victoria’s only private provider of radiotherapy services, ROV employs almost 200 staff including 10 radiation oncologists across 6 sites located in Epping, East Melbourne, Frankston, Footscray, Ringwood and Albury-Wodonga. As a result of the combination with ROV, Genesis Care now provides radiotherapy services for cancer patients at 24 cancer treatment centres and clinics around the country. More

  Dr Michael Guiney, of ROV, said combining with Genesis Care provided a Victoria-wide boost for access and care options for cancer patients. “ROV has provided excellent care for cancer patients across Victoria for the last 20 years. Our combination with Genesis Care will facilitate the continued development of our care model, introduction of new treatment techniques and expansion of services for cancer patients,” Dr Guiney said.

  Genesis Care Managing Director, Dan Collins, said “ROV provides our organisation with an advantage in terms of its Victorian footprint, first class service and integrated clinical network across the entire State.”

  “One in three Australians requiring radiotherapy treatment for their cancer does not have access to the correct treatment. From a patient perspective, that’s not good enough. Combining with ROV will make it easier to fix this problem and achieve better patient access and outcomes.”

  Mr Collins said Genesis Care has committed to expansion plans for radiotherapy services in Albury-Wodonga, Newcastle, Joondalup (in Perth) and also the northern suburbs of Adelaide.

  “Our strategy aims to close the wide gap in access to care for cancer patients and raise the quality of care and service provided right around Australia. Each new centre will be equipped with the best technology and treatment techniques and networked into our existing centres. Patients can receive better care closer to home,” Mr Collins said.

  Genesis Care has also committed to provide radiotherapy services at the $2 billion Fiona Stanley Hospital in partnership with the Western Australian Government, commencing in mid 2014. Under the same arrangement, services were recently opened in Bunbury, south west of Perth, and also at Royal Perth Hospital.

• January 2011

  IMRT available for anal cancer

  Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is now standard practice for patients with anal cancer at our Melbourne centres. Previous radiotherapy techniques used to treat anal cancer were commonly associated with significant side effects during treatment, often requring a break of 1-2 weeks in treatment. Now, IMRT offers a sparing of dose to surrounding tissues, reducing the potential risk of side effects during treatment.

• 

  April 2010

  Intensity modulated IMRT for prostate cancer available at the Footscray and Epping centres

  ROV expansion and implementation of IMRT for prostate cancer continues to our other centres. IMRT for prostate cancer was first available at Ringwood in 2007, then Frankston and East Melbourne in 2009. In 2010, we have expanded our IMRT program to the north and west of Melbourne, at our Epping and Footscray centres respectively. IMRT for prostate cancer has greater potential to minimise radiotherapy side effects.

• 

  December 2009

  High Dose Rate Brachytherapy at East Melbourne

  ROV have recently purchased the Flexitron Robotic afterloader brachytherapy system for our East Melbourne centre. This now expands the brachytherapy options; adding to our current low-dose rate brachytherapy service. With the new HDR service, we can offer expanded services in prostate and gynaecological cancers.

• 

  October 2009

  IMRT and SmartArc technology at East Melbourne

  The East Melbourne centre will install the latest linear accelerator by Varian which offers SmartArc technology. SmartArc allows the delivery of rotational IMRT, which is also known as volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). This potential of VMAT is treatment times are shorter, minimising the impact of organ motion, thereby translating to increase accuracy and sparing of normal tissue.

• 

  July 2009

  New Centre in Northern suburbs opens

  The new radiotherapy centre has opened at Epping. The brand new, state of the art centre is located on the ground floor of the Epping Medical and Specialist Centre. There are two radiotherapy bunkers, equipped with the latest linear accelerator by Varian. The centre provides a prompt, personalised radiotherapy service to cancer patients in the northern suburbs of Melbourne and country Victoria. With close ties with the Northern Hospital and surrounding medical specialists, this centre will complement cancer services in the growing region of Victoria.