After years of delays, failed contracts, and families being forced overseas for treatment, there is renewed hope that Australia could finally get its first proton therapy centre. The Federal Government is actively considering a Victorian proposal, with Melbourne’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre emerging as a leading contender.
Background of the Proton Therapy Saga
The development follows years of uncertainty surrounding the Adelaide proton therapy project, which collapsed after a dispute with supplier ProTom despite hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars being committed to the project. 7NEWS has extensively reported on the proton therapy saga, speaking with families forced to travel overseas to access the life-saving treatment and those pushing governments to finally deliver a solution.
Federal Health Minister's Comments
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says Victoria is firmly in the mix. “I received some submissions from the South Australian Government about a new proposal to replace the effectively-defunct proposal,” Butler told 7NEWS exclusively. “I felt an obligation to go to other states to see whether they had proposals that the Commonwealth should consider ... and want to test the market, if you like, and see whether there’s another, quicker way we could do it in another state.”
“I’ve had some good feedback, particularly from Victoria, and I’m trying to get some more concrete proposals from that state government, which we could consider.” He said the government wants to move quickly. “I want to see this frankly get on our table to assess options as soon as possible,” he said.
What is Proton Therapy?
Proton therapy uses highly targeted radiation that can reduce damage to healthy tissue surrounding a tumour. It is considered particularly valuable for some childhood cancers and is already widely available overseas.
South Australian Advocacy Continues
Despite the Adelaide project’s collapse, some South Australian advocates and politicians are still fighting to keep it alive. “We’ve got the building, we’ve got the clinicians — what we need is a government that will step up,” South Australia’s opposition health spokesperson Jack Batty said on Monday.
Childhood cancer advocate Billie Tuckerman, whose daughter Evelyn travelled to the United States for proton therapy in 2022, has spent years campaigning for Australia to establish the treatment. Her petition, which was tabled in parliament by the federal opposition’s health spokesperson Anne Ruston in March, has already received tens of thousands of signatures.
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre as a Leading Contender
Attention is now turning to one of Australia’s largest cancer centres, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. Radiation oncologist Professor Sandro Porceddu told 7NEWS the centre is ideally placed to deliver the service. “Australia desperately needs a proton unit and it really should be housed where there is a concentration of highly expert cancer specialists,” Porceddu said.
“Peter MacCallum is the only public provider of comprehensive cancer services and therefore if you’re going to introduce a new bit of technology which is critical to the care of our paediatric oncology patients then Peter Mac makes it an ideal centre.”
Addressing Criticisms
One criticism raised by some advocates is whether a more compact Victorian model could safely treat younger children and complex paediatric cases because the patients will be in an upright position. Professor Porceddu rejects that suggestion. “I’m very confident that we are able to treat paediatric patients. Over time the technology of the proton units have become more compact and you are able to treat patients in an upright position,” the professor said.
He says advances in technology mean the service could be delivered from existing facilities. “We have no safety concerns whatsoever,” he said. “The advantage of this unit, of course, is that we’re able to fit it into an existing linear accelerator bunker, which is of great advantage. Because it means that Peter Mac will be able to deliver a proton unit within 24 months.”
A Game Changer for Cancer Treatment
Professor Porceddu said Peter Mac is ready if the proposal receives government backing. “This would be a game changer. We really need a proton unit. At the moment, paediatric patients who would benefit from proton therapy, we as clinicians have to look at treating them or sending them overseas,” he said.
“Peter Mac is really ready and able to deliver a proton therapy unit. We have the expertise and we have the experience in treating paediatric patients so I am very confident that if we were to acquire Australia’s first proton therapy unit, we would safely be able to deliver treatment to our patients and really be a game changer for all patients that require radiotherapy.”
