Western Australia will soon have its own world-class comprehensive cancer centre, with the State Government confirming funding for the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre to be built at the QEII Medical Campus.
The new facility will deliver integrated cancer research, treatment and care for all Western Australians, combining cutting-edge clinical services with world-leading medical research. Designed to provide holistic and collaborative care, the centre will work closely with the community and medical professionals across the state.
Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research CEO, Professor Peter Leedman, said the project would transform the way cancer research and care are delivered in WA.
“The backing of both the WA State and Federal Governments is recognition that West Australians should not miss out on world-leading cancer treatment and care integrated with world-first discovery research and clinical trials,” Professor Leedman said. “Comprehensive cancer centres that truly integrate research with patient care are lifechanging for so many people.”
Professor Leedman said the new centre would focus on cancers that remain difficult to treat, where resistance to therapy is common and survival rates are low. “By focusing on cutting-edge research into specific streams of cancer and sharing expertise across WA’s hospitals and clinics, the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre will play a key role in delivering comprehensive cancer care for the next 50 years and beyond,” he said.
The centre will include 90 multi-day inpatient beds (with capacity for 30 more), 40 same-day beds and chairs, intensive care and high-dependency units, and extensive outpatient services including specialist clinics, radiation oncology, operating theatres and imaging facilities. It will also feature expanded clinical trial capacity, research laboratories, a cancer tissue biobank and a Cancer Care Coordination Centre to support patients across metropolitan and regional WA.
Perkins Chair Ben Morton said the project’s goal was to help people with cancer live better and longer lives. “As a not-for-profit medical research organisation, our mission is to drive world-leading, research-driven cancer care for people at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives,” he said. “This centre will deliver better research outcomes and improved care for people fighting cancer.”
Mr Morton said the centre would be dedicated to everyone touched by cancer. “Like thousands of Western Australians, my family has been impacted by cancer. I dedicate my service on this project to my mother, Linda,” he said. “Once the project is underway, people will have the opportunity to make a donation in memory of their loved ones who have battled cancer.”
The Perkins Institute will continue to work with the State Government to finalise the QEII site location through the master planning process. Construction is expected to begin within 18 months, with the centre aiming to open by the end of 2030.
The Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre will join a national network of similar facilities, ensuring Western Australians have access to the latest research discoveries and personalised treatments.
More information is available at perkins.org.au/cancer-centre/.
