Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In Australia cancer affects one in three men and one in four women before the age of 75. Given those odds, 47 members of this House will suffer from cancer before their 75th birthday. If you look at how the figures translate to the general community, you will see that they are alarming. Cancer is the single most common cause of death today. In two-thirds of cases, the cancer is still localised when diagnosis is made. Recovery can be made for about 45 per cent of cancers using the current therapies of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Once the cancer has spread, however, the chance of recovery is correspondingly lower. Chemotherapy is used with the intent to eliminate the diffused cancer cells. Radiotherapy is used in combination with surgery or when the tumour is localised to one area of the body which is inoperable; it is recommended for 52 per cent of cancers.

With continued advances in the medical field of new surgery techniques, vaccines and stronger chemo, it is time we also focus on improving radiotherapy. The next major technical advancement in radiotherapy is proton beam therapy. Proton beam therapy is a painless non-invasive form of radiation used to treat cancer and other benign conditions. Proton therapy has been used to treat nearly 42,000 patients since it was first trialled. This government already recognises the technology. It provides assistance for children diagnosed with brain tumours to travel to America for this treatment.

The proton’s dose of radiation can be controlled to an exact shape and depth within the body. The proton’s penetration through tissue is a function of the proton beam’s energy and the tissue density through which it passes. Selecting the beam’s energy controls the penetration. Protons slow down as they interact with matter. When protons slow down enough, they release the bulk of their energy in a sharp burst followed by a rapid decline in their dose energy. Virtually no radiation is expended beyond this point. There are currently 41 facilities either established or being developed around the world. Unfortunately, none is in Australia.

Proton therapy provides superior clinical outcomes for most cancers where conventional radiotherapy is commonly used. It has also been found to produce highly favourable results in the treatment of certain tumours that are not effectively controlled by conventional radiation. Overseas, proton therapy is used in the early treatment of tumours in most parts of the body. There are instances where people have travelled of their own accord to seek treatment in the US.

The member for Moore, another keen supporter of proton beam therapy, had occasion to speak to one of his patients who sought treatment for prostate cancer: this patient no longer suffers from the disease, nor does he have any side effects from the treatment. As with conventional radiotherapy, treatment with protons requires between 20 and 25 sessions, during which the tumour is blasted by the proton beam for one minute. The cost of a course of treatment is approximately $25,000. This is cost effective when compared to the high cost of surgical treatment, even without factoring in associated costs such as the hospital stay, pain management, physiotherapy and other ongoing measures.

Since 1998, planning has been under way to establish an Australian proton therapy facility. It is envisaged that such a facility would cost $160 million to build and have the capacity to treat 3,000 patients per annum. The assistance sought from government is the granting of a Medicare treatment licence and treatment number. This will give the people of Australia an alternative that not only is efficient, effective and cheap but also has the added bonus of freeing up our hospital wards for people with cancer whose recovery relies on other medical remedies.

I understand that those who are working towards establishing an Australian proton therapy facility will shortly be making a submission to the Standing Committee on Health and Ageing. I strongly encourage the members of that committee to take the time to better understand proton therapy. (Time expired)