Cyclotron facility

Liverpool Hospital’s new cyclotron facility assists with early detection of cancer. Total Precision Cleanrooms Aust were the successful builders of the new Cyclotron facility support laboratories at Liverpool Hospital, in Sydney. The cleanrooms were built using a proprietary cleanroom system imported from Dagard in France. TPC are Dagard certified installers since early 2009. TPC were engaged early during the design stage to assist the Architect, Builder and client with the overall design inclusive of trades, equipment and services.

Cancer patients in Sydney’s southwest will now have access to a new technology that will speed up the detection of tumours. The new molecular science cyclotron facility has opened at Liverpool Hospital. The cyclotron produces radioisotopes, which are injected into patients before they have a PET scan - lighting up hidden tumours and making them easier to detect.

The cyclotron is one of only two in NSW that will help diagnose and treat a range of cancers. The new technology will also help in the early diagnosis and treatment of lung, pancreatic, head and neck, breast, and prostate cancers. Liverpool Hospital head of nuclear medicine and South Western Sydney Local Health District medical imaging director Dr Peter Lin said the machine placed SWSLHD at the forefront of molecular diagnostic and therapeutic cancer services.

“This technology allows us to see more clearly whether the drugs used to treat the cancer are working,” Dr Lin said. “This facility will help us provide physicians with answers quickly and effectively.”

The cyclotron is the second facility in NSW and the first that can be used for research into other conditions such as Alzheimer’s, brain injuries and cardiac disease.