Twenty years of bringing cancer care closer to home

July 31, 2026

Born from determination. Built through collaboration. Caring for Gippslanders for 20 years. The Gippsland Cancer Care Centre today celebrated 20 years of providing cancer care closer to home, bringing together patients, families, staff, volunteers, health partners and community members whose collective efforts have transformed cancer treatment across the region.

The Centre opened in 2006 following years of community advocacy, fundraising and government investment. What began with chemotherapy, radiation oncology and haemodialysis has grown into a comprehensive cancer service, bringing together specialist treatment, clinical trials, advanced technology and multidisciplinary care so people across Gippsland can access world-class cancer care closer to home.

Latrobe Regional Health Chief Executive Don McRae said the anniversary was an opportunity to reflect not only on how far cancer care had come in Gippsland, but on the community that had made it possible.

“While the high rates of cancer and kidney disease experienced by people in Gippsland are not a cause for celebration, the availability of treatment and care close to family and friends is,” Mr McRae said.

“Before the Centre opened, many people faced daily trips to Melbourne for treatment, or chose not to receive radiotherapy at all because the travel was simply too difficult. That challenge inspired our community to come together and create something better.”

“This Centre has found a special place in the hearts of Gippslanders because the community was invested in it from the very beginning. They watched it rise from the ground, and for 20 years they have continued to support the patients, families and staff who walk through its doors.”

Among those celebrating was former LRH Board Chair Professor Barry Dunstan, who helped champion the development of the Centre before it opened.

Years later, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer himself, Professor Dunstan found himself walking through the doors of the very Centre he had worked so hard to establish. Having previously travelled to Melbourne each day for eight weeks of cancer treatment, he said receiving care close to home made an enormous difference.

“My experience here was totally different,” Professor Dunstan said.

“It was a 20-minute drive from home. I could park, walk in and be cared for by people who were professional, supportive and kind.”

As part of the celebration, Professor Dunstan joined newly appointed LRH Board Chair Professor Andrew Way to cut the anniversary cake, symbolising the next chapter in the Centre’s remarkable story.

For Oncology Nurse Unit Manager Emily Capaldo, who has spent more than 20 years working in cancer care, the anniversary was also a celebration of the people behind the service.

“The Centre has never just been about a building or the treatments we provide,” Ms Capaldo said. “It’s about people caring for people. It’s about making sure that when someone in Gippsland hears the words ‘you have cancer’, they don’t have to leave their community and everything familiar to them to receive exceptional care.”

She said cancer care was a true team effort, bringing together nurses, medical and radiation oncologists, haematologists, allied health professionals, pharmacists, administration staff, volunteers and many others.

“We get to know our patients, their partners, their children, their grandchildren and their life stories,” she said. “We celebrate the wins, help them through the difficult days and build genuine relationships.”

Those relationships were reflected in the words of patients whose stories were shared during the celebration.

One patient described the staff as “honestly the best bunch of people” and said they looked forward to their three-weekly chemotherapy appointments because of the care and kindness they received.

Another patient, who has attended the Centre for more than six years while living with multiple sclerosis, said the team’s patience and compassion had helped them overcome a lifelong fear of hospitals and had “given me my life back.”

Mr McRae said the anniversary was both a celebration and a reminder of what could be achieved when a community worked together.

“For 20 years, this Centre has enabled people to receive exceptional cancer care without leaving the place they call home,” he said.

“As we look to the future, we’ll continue working alongside our community to ensure people across Gippsland can access the care they need, close to home.