Townsville home for revolutionary treatment for blood cancers
Townsville will be the nation’s first regional city to provide a revolutionary new treatment for certain types of blood cancers, reducing the burden of travel for patients in North Queensland.
CAR T-cell therapy takes certain white blood cells from the patient’s blood and transports them overseas where special receptors are added, then multiplied.
Once back on home soil, they are reinfused into the patient’s body where the ‘specialised’ cells recognise and attack the cancer cells in the blood.
CAR T-cell therapy is currently only provided at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, so having the treatment option in Townsville will mean better – potentially lifesaving – healthcare closer to home for North Queenslanders.
The treatment will be available for North Queensland patients with certain types of blood cancer, including leukemia and lymphoma. Five to 10 North Queensland-based patients are expected to be treated with CAR T-cell therapy in the first year of service.