Olivia Newton-John had to travel far and wide for acupuncture and massages to complement her chemotherapy and radiology in her battle with breast cancer – a burden she hopes others, particularly those in the public hospital system, won’t have to endure after the opening of a treatment centre bearing her name at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital.
The Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre will combine research laboratories, clinical treatment and complementary therapies in a one stop shop aimed at attacking cancer from all angles.
Patients will be able to join singalongs in a dedicated music room, take a yoga class or enjoy a massage in combination with their chemotherapy.
Cutting the ribbon on the centre on Friday, Newton-John said complementary therapies were an underrated component in the fight against cancer, which began for her with a diagnosis in 1992.
“I had to find it myself and go to different places or have them come to me,” she said.
“I was lucky I could do that but most people can’t so that’s why this is wonderful. It’s actually more than I ever could have pictured or dreamed of.”
The Australian entertainment icon said she was inspired to join the project after experiencing limitations in her own treatment regime.
“I knew what a gap there was in the delivery of truly wholistic cancer care and how much there was a need for a cancer centre and a philosophy that gives equal support to patient wellbeing as it does to surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and research,” she said.
The $180 million centre began as a $50 million project in 2002.
Newton-John has spent the best part of a decade as the figurehead of the public fundraising push, which included a walk across the Great Wall of China and a duet with former footballer Jim Stynes at an AFL match.
The campaign attracted donations from about 40,000 Australians, and contributions from the state and federal governments.
Sam Stynes, whose husband lost his battle with cancer in March, said he would have considered the centre a truly great achievement.
“He would’ve loved being able to come to one place instead of accessing what this centre offers from different places,” she said.
“He spent a lot of times in pretty stark, grungy hospital rooms so he would’ve thought this was fabulous.”
Austin Health Cancer Services medical director Jonathan Cebon said both research and complementary therapies needed to be considered crucial components in a treatment regime.
“I see the research as complementary to wellness and the wellness complementary to research. Both are sides of the same coin. We’re really trying to make things better for people with cancer.”
Three of the seven levels of the centre will open to the public in July, including the wellness centre, research laboratories, radiation and day oncology.
Inpatient wards and a palliative care unit are due to open in mid-2013.
[Sydney Morning Herald 22.06.12]
