Regional cancer centre, Griffith: Applications now open for centre

Applications are now open for providers to apply for a grant to develop a regional radiation treatment centre in Griffith.

The city was named last year as one of 10 regions in four states that would receive a radiation therapy service.

Heath Minister Greg Hunt said on Thursday that the government was looking for service providers to apply for grants totalling $45.5 million to develop the centres.

"Public and private service providers are encouraged to form consortia to apply for the funding, as this will maximise their ability to provide the new or expanded cancer treatment centres," he said.

"New and innovative approaches to delivering radiation therapy services in regional Australia are encouraged."

Mr Hunt said the government's investment would reduce the need to travel outside the region and allow many patients to access all of their cancer treatment services in one place.

Griffith woman Mrs Spencer was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2018 and underwent radiotherapy in April 2019.

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With no local radiotherapy services, she was forced to move to Wagga Wagga for her five-week treatment.

"I missed family events like my daughter's 18th birthday," she said.

"It also meant not working for five weeks."

Most of Mrs Spencer's radiotherapy treatments were just six minutes long, with the final few around 30 seconds each.

She said because of the short treatment time, many people could still work, live at home and have the support of friends and family if they were able to receive treatment in Griffith.

"Life could have gone on," she said.

"Being two hours away you're not going to drive back every day.

"A centre here would be fantastic because if you are sick you want family around you."

Mrs Spencer and her husband Wayne have four children and she is grateful that they were not too young when she was forced to be away from them for so long.

She said their children Kiara, 21, Macy, 19, Kahlan, 16, and Broden, 14, were incredibly understanding and supportive when she was away for treatment.

"If you had little children you couldn't be there it'd be very difficult," she said.

The Australian Government's open competitive grants process for $45.5 million for the 10 centres, which will be provided over five years from 2020-21, closes on October 7, 2020.