St George Cancer Care Centre, St George Hospital, Kogarah
Location
St George Cancer Care Centre is superbly located in Sydney's south east suburb of Kogarah; only a 15 minute train ride to the heart of Sydney and beautiful Sydney Harbour; 30 minutes to famous Bondi Beach; 25 minutes to Cronulla Beach; and 10 minute walk to local beaches, restaurants and cafes.
Equipment
The department operates with three Varian linear accelerators. All three are Clinac iX Silhouette editions with MLC and portal imaging. Two units have On Board Imaging (OBI), one of these has Cone Beam CT (CBCT). Two units have electron facilities and respiratory gating. All three have IMRT capabilities.
Our IMRT program is underway, treating head and necks, cervical oesophagus, prostate and a hybrid breast technique. We are currently doing the ground work to be able to do volumetric arc therapy (VMAT).
Superficial treatment is delivered by a Therapix unit.
We have just gone live with a dedicated Brachytherapy treatment and theatre suite. Brachytherapy is delivered by a Nucletron HDR unit and supported by a dedicated Nucletron Plato Planning System. A prostate brachytherapy programme is available offering permanent seed implants and HDR treatments. We are in the early stages of developing a Breast Brachytherapy service. A very exciting time for the St George Cancer Care Centre.
The planning area is equipped with a Philips Brilliance 16 slice Large Bore CT Scanner and Philips Pinnacle 3D Computer Planning System.
The department currently uses ARIA 10 as its Oncology Patient Information System for both Radiation and Medical Oncology.
Staff
There are 4 Radiation Oncologists on staff, and another Oncologist is employed part-time. The department employs 30 friendly and enthusiastic Radiation Therapists (RTs) who work with a team of 7 Radiation Oncology Medical Physicists (ROMPs). RTs are rostered to both planning and treatment. St George Cancer Care Centre has a strong commitment to a fortnightly in-service programme for RTs. Staff are supported financially to attend meetings and conferences.
Hours
The centre operates from 08:00 to 17.45 Monday to Friday. The RTs and ROMPs work a 9-day fortnight. They are rostered to work either an 08:00 or 09:00 start finishing at 16.45 and 17.45 respectively.
Caseload
The majority of patients who present at St George Cancer Care Centre reside in the south eastern suburbs of Sydney. St George Cancer Care Centre also has a lodge facility consisting of 15 self contained units for patients undergoing out-patient cancer treatment.
The department treats approximately 1,300 courses per year, with an average of 100 patients per day. This consists mainly of Breast (35%), Prostate (35%), and Lung (20%).
Research
RTs and ROMPs are encouraged to embark on research projects.
Protocol / Technical Meetings
Weekly meetings are held with Radiation Oncologists, RTs and ROMPs to discuss the next week of patients presenting for simulation and planning.
Cases are also presented at this meeting, to discuss technical issues related to radiotherapy planning and treatment as well as interesting patient histories.
A multidisciplinary 'Cancer Forum' is held in the centre each week to discuss interesting or challenging cases the medical staff have seen and their intended management. All staff are welcome to attend.
Contacts
Come and join the friendly team at St George Cancer Care Centre, we’d love to have you!
St George Cancer Care Centre
Gray Street
Kogarah NSW 2217
Prof John Kearsley
Director, Cancer Care Centre
Ph: +61 2 9350 3903
Email: John.Kearsley@SESIAHS.HEALTH.NSW.GOV.AU
Ms Sarah Mogford
Chief Radiation Therapist
Ph: +61 2 9113 3908
Email: sarah.mogford@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au
Mr Samuel Painter
Director, Medical Physics
Ph: +61 2 9113 3904
Email: Samuel.Painter@SESIAHS.HEALTH.NSW.GOV.AU
Updated July 2011