Information about Radiation Oncology and Radiotherapy Services

Radiation Oncology is the study and discipline of treating malignant disease with radiation. The treatment is referred to as radiotherapy or radiation therapy.

Accommodation and Travel Schemes
Treatment Facility Locations
Cancer Treatment Options
From Prescription to Treatment
Other Assistance
Other Useful Cancer Information Web Sites for Patients

Accommodation and Travel Schemes

All States and Territories have patient accommodation and travel schemes (PATS) that reimburse patients having to travel long distances a proportion of out-of-pocket expenses. Since conditions vary please contact the relevant State or Territory Department of Health.

Treatment Facility Locations

Each of the pages below contains a list of the radiotherapy treatment facilities in each State and Territory.

Cancer treatment options

This page provides links to information regarding various treatment options for cancer.

HealthInsite Topic Pages:

Prostate cancer treatment
Ovarian Cancer treatment
Skin Cancer treatment
Cervical Cancer treatment
Other Sites:
The My Doctor website

From prescription to treatment

There are many different steps involved in a course of treatment for radiotherapy (planning, simulation and treatment), a unique treatment plan is created for each individual.
Patients may find the websites below useful in providing information on exactly what is involved in radiotherapy treatment, and what is to be expected. Some of these sites also illustrate what the treatment machines look like.
The Treatment process
The Adelaide Radiotherapy Centre Top of Page

Other Assistance

There are some non-Government organisations that also offer assistance for patients and their families having to travel long distances for treatment.

More information regarding assistance can be obtained from the various cancer councils throughout Australia, your treatment facility and the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia.
Some of these websites are detailed below.
The Leukaemia Foundation of Australia
The Cancer Council Australia
The Cancer Council Victoria
The Cancer Council New South Wales
The Cancer Council ACT
The Cancer Council Tasmania
The Cancer Council South Australia
The Cancer Council Western Australia
The Cancer Council Queensland
The Cancer Council Northern Territory

Other useful Cancer information web sites for patients

The National Breast Cancer Centre
The National Breast Cancer Centre provides a "one-stop site for information on breast cancer in Australia" it provides a wide variety of information and resources related to breast cancer including information on treatment options, and access to support groups.
Breast Cancer Network Australia
Breast Cancer Network Australia aims to "empower, inform, represent and link together Australians personally affected by breast cancer"
The Children's Cancer Institute Australia
The Children's Cancer Institute is primarily focussed on research into treatments for childhood cancer, however it also provides support and educational services.
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia provides information about prostate cancer "from the perspective of patients who have experienced diagnosis and treatment for the disease."
Cancer Support Association Western Australia
provides a range of tools and information related to cancer including a "cancer treatment decision support tool" and a public information platform.
Canteen
Canteen is a "national support organisation for young people (aged 12-24) living with cancer"
Camp Quality
Camp Quality is a "children's charity committed to bringing fun therapy into the lives of children with cancer and their families."
"You are not alone"
You Are Not Alone is a prostate cancer support group featuring stories from cancer survivors throughout the world.
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