Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital offers a full complement of cancer treatment services, from scans and tests for diagnosis, through to surgery and chemotherapy. Radiotherapy is provided nearby. 

Surgery is used to remove a cancer tumour from your body or repair the part of your body affected by cancer. Surgery is performed by a surgeon.

If your cancer is found early, surgery may be the only treatment that you need. Surgery can also be used in combination with other treatments, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiotherapy.

Chemotherapy uses medicine to destroy fast growing cells in your body – such as cancer cells. Chemotherapy may also target other fast-growing cells such as blood cells, skin and hair cells, and the cells lining your mouth and gut.

Chemotherapy can be given as a tablet, as an injection under the skin or through an infusion into your vein.

A medical oncologist is an expert in chemotherapy.

You may want to discuss the potential access to scalp-cooling technology during chemotherapy treatment, designed to help reduce the flow of chemotherapy drugs to the scalp area and preserve hair.

Immunotherapy activates your body’s own immune system to seek out and destroy cancer cells. Targeted therapy blocks the growth of cancer by interfering with specific gene mutations that allow cancers to grow.

Both immunotherapy and targeted therapy travel through your blood steam to treat cancer cells throughout your body, with limited impact on other cells.

A medical oncologist is an expert in immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Radiotherapy uses a controlled dose of radiation to destroy cancer cells. Radiotherapy is given directly to the affected area using focused x-ray beams or other radioactive sources.

Radiotherapy may be used as your main treatment for cancer, to shrink your tumour before other treatments or to prevent cancer from spreading.

Radiotherapy is offered nearby. 

During and after your cancer treatment you may undergo tests and scans to see how well your treatment is working and monitor for signs of cancer recurrence (cancer coming back).

The specific tests and scans that you undergo will depend on the type of cancer that you have. Common tests and scans can include:

Blood tests – to monitor for signs and markers of cancer, treatment response and infection in your blood.

Endoscopy/colonoscopy – an examination of the gastrointestinal tract using a small camera and light on the end of a flexible tube, to look for changes inside your digestive system. 

Biopsy – a tissue sample that is taken from a suspicious area for testing to confirm a cancer diagnosis.

Ultrasound – an ultrasound is a scan that uses soundwaves and echo to create an image of the inside of your body. Ultrasounds can be used to identify something solid inside your body, such as a tumour or an organ.

CT scan – a CT (computed tomography) scan uses x-rays to capture a detailed image of the inside of your body. Often, a liquid dye (called a contrast) will be injected into one of your veins before a CT scan to make it easier to spot anything unusual.

MRI scan – an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan uses magnetic and radio waves to capture a detailed image of the inside of your body. Like a CT scan, a liquid dye (called a contrast) may be injected into one of your veins before an MRI scan to make it easier to spot anything unusual.

PET scan – a (positron emission tomography) scan is a specialised imaging technique that shows how the cells inside your body are functioning. Before a PET scan, you will be injected with a glucose solution containing a small amount of radioactive material. Cells in your body that are more active – such as cancer cells - will take up more of the glucose solution and will appear brighter on the scan.