Blacktown mayor launches Targeting Cancer campaign’s GP education evening at the newly opened hospital
Blacktown Mayor Stephen Bali visited the newly opened Blacktown Hospital on Wednesday 25th May 2016 to launch the Targeting Cancer campaign GP Oncology Education Evening
More than 20 GPs from around western Sydney attended the session which provided them with a face-to-face opportunity to discuss cancer management issues, in particular the role of radiation therapy in everyday general practice.
Olympian and Western Sydney University medical student, Jana Pittman was also at the event to lend her support.
GPs play a vital role in the management and referrals of cancer patients to ensure that they receive the best care possible and are made aware of all their treatment options. The education evenings serve as a way to learn about the indications, technology and practicalities of modern radiation therapy in a social and informal setting.
Volunteer radiation oncologists and health care professionals were on hand to present an interactive program which included a presentation covering the basic principles of radiation therapy followed by 2 clinical cases. The session proved popular with the GPs becoming very engaged in discussions about common case scenarios.
The GPs were also given a tour of the hospital’s brand new radiation oncology clinic which displayed the sophisticated technology and modern radiation machines which are used to treat the cancers.
The opening of the radiation oncology clinic at Blacktown hospital in April means that for the first time, cancer patients will be able to have radiation therapy at Blacktown, avoiding the need to travel too far for this treatment.
The first Targeting Cancer GP Oncology Education Evening was held in October 2014 at Westmead Hospital in Sydney, and these events have since been held in over 20 departments across Australia and New Zealand. According to survey results, hundreds of GPs have improved their knowledge of the aims, practicalities and the positive impact modern radiation therapy has had on patient reported outcomes.
