This year’s Byron Lighthouse Run, which takes place this Sunday (October 23), is raising money for a new piece of specialist equipment for Lismore Base Hospital’s Radiation Oncology unit.
The ‘prone breast board’ will allow selected patients with breast cancer to receive treatment lying on their stomach.
The hospital’s radiation oncology team identified the equipment as a priority for them.
Northern NSW Local Health District’s radiation therapy manager, Stephen Manley, said the team’s vision was ‘to have the best equipment possible and provide the best treatment possible to our community.’
‘Improvements have been made to prone breast boards since we bought the current one that will allow us to treat a broader range of patients,’ Mr Manley said.
‘We have two treatment rooms and planning room so the additional board should ensure that no-one has to wait for one to be available’.
‘The new generation of breast boards allows for treatment of lymph nodes as well as the breast. It ensures more accurate treatment, as well as greater patient comfort.
‘We are so enthusiastic about this that we have already been researching what works best so that we can move quickly into operation,’ Mr Manley said.
And, he says, the Byron Lighthouse Run is a great way to bring this about: it is our very own Northern Rivers event; it is for the benefit of the community; and an early morning run or walk is good for everyone!
Anita Wolf from sponsor Fusion Health adds: ‘we are thrilled to be part of this event for this purpose; it is a key part of our work supporting health’.
There is still time to register, to support the Lismore Base Hospital, and share in the fun. Visit www.byronrun.com for more details.
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