24 Hour Fight funds pay for better cancer surgery tools

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24 Hour Fight
Surgery boost: Campbelltown Hospital acting general manager Chris Leahy, 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer Macarthur chairman Fred Borg, Peri-Operative Ward Nurse Unit Manager Louise Scott, and Dr Andrew Ong.

Campbelltown Hospital is now home to two of the most advanced breast cancer surgery tools in the state, thanks to funds raised by the 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer Macarthur.

Two wireless Neoprobe Node Systems have been purchased to find the spread of breast cancer into the lymph nodes during surgery on breast cancer patients.

Campbelltown Hospital acting general manager Chris Leahy said surgeons will now be given a cleaner, more streamlined approach during surgery.

“The probes in the machine are equipped with a narrower detection field, which means surgeons can make smaller incisions to remove the lymph nodes and allow patients a more comfortable recovery with less swelling,” he said.

“We are extremely grateful to the Macarthur community for continuing to raise funds through the 24 Fight Against Cancer to help us purchase state-of-the-art equipment like this.”

The 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer Macarthur is an annual charity run by volunteers that supports the Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre, the Oncology Ward and the Paediatric Ambulatory Care Unit at Campbelltown Hospital, as well as the Palliative Care Unit and associated Outreach service at Camden Hospital.

The chairman of the 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer Macarthur, Councillor Fred Borg, said that continued community support and sponsorship gives the committee a great launching platform to continue to promote the event and fundraise for local cancer patients.

“We are proud that 100 per cent of every dollar raised stays within the Macarthur community so we can help provide our family and friends dealing with cancer with the treatment extras not available from other sources,” Mr Borg said.

More than $3 million has been raised over the past decade for these services through the event, to help fund extra services and equipment to assist in the treatment, care and comfort of children and adults dealing with cancer.

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