The ACT government is investing more than $7 million into a cancer research centre, with designs of the 449 square metre space released on Monday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The facility will be part of the Canberra Region Cancer Centre, which is located at Building 19 in the Canberra Hospital Campus.
Building is scheduled to begin in the later part of this year, and be completed in late 2024.
It will integrate a research laboratory into a clinic space, allowing patients at Canberra Hospital to be assessed for clinical trials, the government said.
"[It will also allow] sample collection to be seamlessly coordinated with lab technicians to process samples or store them in appropriate cooling facilities until ready," they said.
Architecture firm peckvonhartel designed the renovations.
Drawings show the research centre will sit between the pharmacy and cancer wellbeing centre on the ground floor of the Canberra Region Cancer Centre.
The laboratory will be open plan.
The centre will be "an innovative hub" and allow for specialist research, ACT Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said.
"The cancer research centre will be an innovative hub for new research and knowledge translation to support cutting edge cancer treatment and strengthen the quality of care for our patients," she said in a statement.
"The centre will also help to attract and recruit specialist clinicians and academics.
"The co-location of cancer clinical trials staff into the centre will encourage strong collaboration between clinicians and scientists, ensuring the growth of clinical trials in the ACT.
"Most importantly, the project will allow the dedicated team to translate research-generated evidence into clinical practice and improve the quality of cancer research and treatment in the ACT."
It will have research partnerships with the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the John Curtin School of Medical Research, University of Canberra and the Garvan Institute, the minister said.
The Canberra Region Cancer Centre, which provides outpatient services, was opened in 2014 and cost $48.7 million.
It provides treatment for cancer patients, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and haematological services.
Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, according to government agency Cancer Australia.
It is estimated that an Australian is diagnosed with cancer every four minutes.
In 2021, lung cancer was the fourth leading cause of death nationwide, a decrease of nearly 20 per cent from 2012.
Prostate cancer was the sixth leading cause of death.
Breast cancer was the sixth most common cause of death for females, followed by colorectal cancers such as rectal and colon cancer.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.