Proton radiation down under?

For those of you on Connect who reside on or near Australia, there is some good news regards Proton Radiation Therapy. With a population of around twenty-five million people in a country which is also a continent, it has been difficult to justify the expense of a proton centre. However between Australia, New Zealand, Paupua New Guinea and other nearby island countries, the first Proton centre is in the works down in beautiful Adelaide, SA. SAHMRI http://www.sahmri.org.au The Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy is in the process of creating the first proton machine for this part of our world.
These machines are a bit expensive but more so, they are extremely large, usually requiring roughly three floors (10 meters) of space with special construction and reinforcements to handle the equipment. The return on such an investment can only be justified in the lives saved as well as the limit to damage inflicted by the more common photon systems commonly in use today.
As far as I am aware, Canada (pop.37.1 million) has zero proton facilities. Great Britain has two. The USA has 38 active with two more in the works for a population of 330 million.
Whilst the Adelaide center is not yet built or operational, it looks like in the near future this will be rather popular in the lands down under.
Pinpoint radiation for head and neck cancers as well as limited accurate treatment for children will be a Godsend.
Could our Aussie friends keep the rest of us posted as to when this unit goes on line please?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Head & Neck Cancer Support Group.

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