Over 26,600 treatments have been delivered and nearly 1900 patients have been treated at the centre since it opened in 2017.
The Icon Gold Coast Private team have been successful in making state-of-the-art treatments and technology available at the centre.
In 2018 the centre became the first in Australia to treat patients using Varian’s HyperArc technology, which delivers precise radiation therapy and enables treatment to be delivered with greater efficiency, accuracy and comfort.
Amara Fonseca has been part of the team from the start.
“The Gold Coast Private team have been early adopters of many other stereotactic techniques for liver, spine, lung and prostate cancers and recently introduced lymphoedema screening for breast cancer patients, allowing us to provide a really comprehensive service to the Gold Coast community,” Amara says.
“Over the years the team have done an amazing job celebrating with patients when they finish their treatments. We often see friendships form between patients in the waiting room as they see each other most days. About a year ago a couple of patients finished their treatments close together and one of them came back for the other’s last day dressed up as wonder woman. It was such a lovely gesture.”
Cliff was diagnosed with prostate cancer in mid-2017 and was the fourth patient to be treated at the centre. The 72-year-old agrees that the friendships are one of the positives to come out of a challenging situation.
“I struck up a few good friendships while I was having treatment. You see the same people each day and you get to know them. It was one of the aspects of my treatment that I look back on and it makes me smile,” Cliff says.
“I believe I was the first to have the gold seeds (fiducial markers, which help to accurately locate the prostate gland during radiation therapy). I had treatment every weekday for eight weeks. I was told I’d be one of the first patients to be treated at the new centre. I was a little bit nervous but also excited. It was nice to go somewhere new, that had all the bells and whistles. I was lucky that my treatment went smoothly and I didn’t have many side effects. The staff were excellent. Nothing was a problem for them and they were very helpful.”
Michael was also treated at Icon Gold Coast Private shortly after it opened. The 66-year-old engineer continued working full time during his treatment for prostate cancer.
“The team at Icon were brilliant. I was in and out on time every day. I didn’t know at the time that I was one of the first patients to be treated at the centre. They did a fantastic job of making sure things were running smoothly for a centre that had just opened,” Michael says.
“I go back for yearly check-ups. (Icon Cancer Centre Gold Coast Private radiation oncologist) Jim Jackson is a lovely bloke. So far, so good since my treatment finished. I have ongoing health issues as I have Crohn’s disease, but it doesn’t stop me from enjoying life and having a good glass of red wine.”
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