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Tips for getting through treatment with a radiation therapy mask
Chandlers Hill resident, John Bader is one of the first patients to be treated at the new Icon Cancer Centre Noarlunga in South Australia
The 68-year-old was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the end of 2021.
“I normally have a blood test done once a year to make sure everything is ok but because of COVID, I hadn’t had one done for a while,” says John. “I went to see my doctor to get a COVID booster shot and I had a blood test done at the same time and it showed my PSA level was high. It all happened pretty quickly from there and it wasn’t too long afterwards that I was told I had prostate cancer.”
“I had my prostate removed and when they did a follow-up PSA test, there were still cancer cells there, so it was decided the best course of action was to have radiation therapy to clear up the cancer cells.”
John started his treatment at Icon Cancer Centre Windsor Gardens in September 2022, before transferring to the new Noarlunga centre, which opened in October.
It took me an hour and half to get to Windsor Gardens each day for treatment and only 20 minutes to get to Noarlunga,” says John. “The move to Noarlunga was brilliant. The team at Windsor Gardens were fantastic and I was happy to travel there as I knew I was getting first-class treatment. But being able to switch to a centre closer to home was really handy. It’s a big win for the community to have this service on our doorstep.
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John completed six weeks of radiation therapy in November and is now spending more time with his family and focusing on his plumbing business.
Icon Cancer Centre Noarlunga is a stand-alone centre located across the road from Noarlunga Hospital. The centre has capacity to deliver 900 courses of radiation therapy each year.
Cancer is a leading burden of disease in South Australia with over 10,000 new cancer diagnoses each year, disproportionately affecting the older population.
Icon Cancer Centre Noarlunga will deliver the best possible cancer care to more South Australian patients, closer to home.
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