A group of people smiling with their hands in the air in celebration, inside a radiotherapy room.

Representatives from Shearwater Lodge, Tour de Rocks and the Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour with the project lead of the SABR technique Sarah Edwards (front right) at MNCCI.

New kidney cancer treatment thanks to generous donations

May 19, 2025

A radiotherapy treatment program used to treat cancer patients on the Mid North Coast has been expanded to treat kidney cancer patients thanks to the generosity of Coffs Harbour’s Shearwater Lodge, Tour de Rocks Limited and the Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour.

The Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) technique delivers a high dose of radiotherapy in each treatment with extreme precision, meaning far fewer treatments for patients and less impact on surrounding healthy organs.

Shearwater Lodge, Tour de Rocks and Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour each provided $50,000 to the Mid North Coast Cancer Institute (MNCCI) to fund a radiotherapy project officer, who is developing the program and will help train staff in kidney SABR, ensuring the advanced technique becomes a standard treatment option for the local community.

Project lead Sarah Edwards said the specialised SABR technique established at MNCCI had been expanded for use in kidney cancer patients who would normally need to travel to metropolitan centres for the treatment.

“The SABR technique delivers a high dose of radiotherapy to a small target area leading to shorter treatment courses,” Ms Edwards said.

“As well as providing a benefit for patient wait times, it will also enable our service to have greater capacity to treat other high-risk patients.”

Shearwater Lodge was established as a Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour initiative to provide low-cost accommodation to Coffs Harbour Health Campus patients and their loved ones. It opened in 2005 with funding support from the Woolgoolga Lions Club and the community.

Income generated from Shearwater Lodge supports local cancer research and medical activities focused on cancer treatment.

Lodge chairman Dr Paul Moran said it will be exciting to see the project treating its first patients, with full implementation of the treatment program expected from November.

“Regional people deserve the same kind of radiotherapy treatment as their city counterparts,” Dr Moran said.

“Being able to access this specialised treatment means better care for people closer to home, improving outcomes for patients and social benefits for our community.”

The first patients are expected to begin treatment in Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie in September.

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