Latest news with #ProtonTherapy
7NEWS
4 days ago
- Health
- 7NEWS
Australian kids with cancer forced overseas for treatment as proton therapy centre sits empty in Adelaide
It was meant to revolutionise cancer treatment for Australian children. Instead, Adelaide 's state-of-the-art Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy now sits pretty much empty, and is likely to remain so for many years to come. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Lack of cancer treatment forces Australian families to seek care abroad. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today It means hundreds of Australian families already navigating the hardest point in their lives after being told their kid has cancer will have to deal with endless paperwork for government grants or raise thousands of dollars themselves before packing up their lives and travelling to the United States for treatment. Opposition health spokesperson Anne Ruston declared it an 'absolute national shame and an abject failure'. She said many children and babies 'likely will die as a result of not being able to get access to the technology that was promised to them'. The project was promised eight years ago by the federal Liberal and state government. But last year the South Australian Labor government tore up the contract with the US company supplying the proton beam machine over funding issues. An auditor general report into the decision has since found significant 'gaps' in the way the state government managed the project. 'Including the need for... effective oversight, project management and risk management arrangements, reflecting a project that is high risk, has a significant cost and has national consequences,' the report said. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas told 7NEWS: 'We can't fix the errors of the past, we just have to focus on a way we can get through this rather complex policy challenge.' But with more than $100 million of public money already spent and no clear timeline for completion, the cost to taxpayers, and to Australian families, is mounting. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said 'we are trying to work out really how much of that money is going to be able to be recouped', if any. 'But it seems quite clear to me on the best advice I have from the department that there is going to be a significant taxpayer loss here,' he said. He warned that it could still be years before Australia has a functioning proton therapy unit, and pointed the finger at earlier decisions made under the former Marshall Liberal government in South Australia and the Turnbull Liberal government federally for choosing a controversial company unable to deliver the machine. Ruston rejected the attempt to shift blame, saying 'it is a sad indictment that you would have a health minister who is about to enter his second term who is still blaming previous governments for the failures that are occurring on his watch'. While politicians argue, and bureaucrats continue to release reports, almost 1000 Australian families are trying to raise enough money to receive lifesaving treatment in America. Five-year-old Lenna Housseini was recently knocked back by the federal government's Medical Overseas Treatment Program, which helps Australians with life-threatening medical conditions access treatment overseas when it is not available here. Her parents would need to raise $500,000 privately for her to go. Without the time to do so, she will undergo treatment for Malignant Rhabdoid Tumour in Australia. While the X-ray radiation here could save her life, there is only a 40 per cent chance she will survive and if she does pull through, she may struggle to speak. 'It's too late to complain, it's too late to do anything, it's too late to even have the regret, because we don't have time to have regret, we have to stay positive,' her father Amin Housseini said earlier this week.
West Australian
6 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
Perth girl Lenna Housseini diagnosed with extremely rare and aggressive cancer
A simple question at the dinner table about a bump on five-year-old Lenna's neck changed the Housseini's lives forever. 'Does it hurt when I press it' her father Amin asked. It didn't. That's because the lump is an extremely rare and aggressive cancer known as MRT or Malignant Rhabdoid Tumour. The tumour at the base of her tongue is so rare it hasn't been seen in Australia in decades. It's so aggressive, Lenna has gone from being a happy and healthy five-year-old to having a life-threatening condition in three months. There's only a 40 percent chance the little girl from Melville will survive and if she pulls through, she will struggle to speak. Her parents had their bags packed last week to take her to the United States for cutting edge treatment. Her Perth doctors had recommended her for Proton Therapy in Florida. But they were knocked back by the Federal Government's Medical Overseas Treatment Program, as the cancer is so rare, there's not enough evidence the overseas treatment will be successful. Her parents could try and raise half a million dollars to send her privately, but it's too late. It would take weeks to reapply, and Lenna simply doesn't have that long. 'It's too late to complain, it's too late to do anything, it's too late to even have the regret, because we don't have time to have regret, we have to stay positive,' Amin Housseini said. Fundraiser by Friends of the Hosseini's : Light to Lenna The Proton therapy offered in the US is precise, it can pinpoint a tumour and kill only the cancer cells. It's often used in small children and for cancers in the head, spinal cord, and heart, where there are vital organs. The x-ray radiation we have in Australia, is more rudimentary. The larger beam kills the cancer, but also the healthy cells around it. It could save Lenna's life, but there's a risk of lifelong disability. The 6cm tumour is at the base of her tongue, meaning parts of her jaw and tongue will be affected by the radiation and that will affect her speech. 'Her jaw may not grow in the future, as naturally,' her mother, Mahsa Shafiei, said. 'It's going to affect her tongue and all the cells in her tongue, and she might not be able to move it.' The rejection from the Medical Overseas Treatment Program is heart-wrenching. But it's a decision the body should never have had to make. In 2017, the federal government announced it'll build the $500 million-dollar Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy in Adelaide. There's a custom bunker 16m underground made to hold the machine, but it's empty. Last year the Health Department and South Australian government tore up the contract American company building the machine. They had spent tens of millions in progress payments, but there were funding disputes and little progress. Ultimately the State and Federal government's lost confidence in the manufacturers ability to deliver. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler telling 7NEWS his government is still committed to bringing Proton Therapy to Australia. 'A proton therapy unit is a really important part of the suite of cancer treatment options, particularly for kids, but over time for adults, here in Australia,' he said. 'The South Australian Government is doing the lead work to see whether another type of unit from another supplier can be sourced.' But those contract negotiations are starting from scratch and meaning Australian Proton Therapy is years, if not decades away. Time five-year-old Lenna does not have. Her family now focusing on the basics as she goes through radiation here in Perth. 'Eat, drink and smile' Lenna said are her goals for each day.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
WellSpan Health – Innovations & Advancements in Cancer Treatment
A York County business owner is sharing his story of hope after completing an innovative cancer treatment at WellSpan York Hospital. John Grim has been battling prostate cancer for nearly seven years, and after multiple treatments failed, doctors offered him a chance to try something knew. Janel Knight told us his story this morning. John Grim's doctor and Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at WellSpan Health, Dr. Navesh Sharma, spoke with Amy about Pluvicto, new cancer treatments being offered at WellSpan Health, Proton Therapy, and more. As part of today's special Good Day PA, abc27 and WellSpan Health hosted a live webchat. Dr. Jaganmohan Poli, Radiation Oncologist at WellSpan Health, answered viewer submitted questions about radiation oncology and radiation therapy. Amy spoke with Dr. Scott Tiedbohl, Thoracic Surgeon at WellSpan Health, to learn more about lung cancer screening, advancements in technology and treatments, and how these benefit patients and the community. WellSpan Cancer Institute is proud of it's efforts to truly listen to patients, allowing experts to customize treatment options while offering compassionate care. Amy spoke with Dr. Nik Korgaonkar to learn more. Dr. Poli joined Janel again later in the show to answer more viewer questions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
