AMA (WA) has called on the federal and state government’s help for a solution for Midland cancer patients, whose only option for a fully public radiation therapy clinic without out-of-pocket costs is at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Nedlands.

The AMA has questioned why Midland cancer patients do not have the same access to radiation therapy without out-of-pocket costs when they’re facing one of the greatest challenges they’re ever likely to face.

“Unfortunately, patients in Midland face far greater hurdles than others. Background radiation therapy is needed for many Western Australian patients with a range of cancers. It usually involves an external beam of radiation directed towards a tumour,” an AMA (WA) spokesperson said.

Background radiation can be used by itself to cure or improve some cancers, and it is often used before or after surgery to either shrink a tumour before surgery, or to try to “mop up” any remaining cancer cells after surgery.

This is often in combination with chemotherapy medications that target cancer cells, and successful treatment often requires a course of therapy that could mean daily radiation appointments for many weeks.

This can be quite arduous, making it hard for patients to maintain a normal work and life schedule.

Side-effects are common and can include fatigue, nausea and pain. Radiation therapy facilities require substantial capital expenditure to set up.

Western Australia relies on a mix of public and private services to deliver care across the metropolitan area.

The only fully public radiation therapy clinic is at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Nedlands, and is funded by the state government without any out-of-pocket costs to patients.

The private radiation therapy clinics are funded by patients, who receive Medicare rebates through the federal government for treatment.

Medicare rebates have become inadequate to cover the cost of care, leaving patients out of pocket.

For patients living in the eastern suburbs, the closest centre is Icon Cancer Centre in Midland.

Public patients can be referred for treatment there, but only if they can afford the out-of-pocket costs.

Otherwise, they have to travel from Midland or beyond to Nedlands.

The AMA maintains that the state government could immediately fix this problem and ensure that public patients received publicly funded radiation therapy at private radiation therapy practices close to their homes by fully funding it, instead of relying on partial funding from the federal government by Medicare and partial funding from out-of-pocket costs.

AMA (WA) president Dr Michael Page said he knew of patients who have had to travel from past Midland to Nedlands every day for six weeks for this gruelling but essential life-saving treatment.

“This is not because the expertise and equipment aren’t available in Midland, but because government red-tape and cost-shifting between state and federal governments prevents it happening,” Dr Page said.

“These incredibly vulnerable patients, facing the worst situations they have faced in their lives – serious life threatening cancers requiring intensive daily therapy that can go on for months – have to travel for hours every day even when the treatment is actually available in their own area.”

Respiratory physician Dr David Manners said one of the important parts of his job was to diagnose and coordinate treatment for people with lung cancer.

“It’s a common occurrence that I will meet patients who return after a biopsy and have to tell them that they have lung cancer.

“I have to tell them that they require radiation treatment as part of their treatment plan. It’s really important for me at that time to find out where they want to go to have their treatment.

“Patients who live in Midland, the Perth Hills, or Ellenbrook have a choice - either they choose to have their treatment locally here in Midland and may experience a gap of several hundred dollars, or they have to travel to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, with the added inconvenience.

“It’s not fair that patients in our area here around Midland have to face that choice.”