Foundation to streamline cancer care donations in mid-west

A WIDER range of support services will be provided to people on cancer treatment in the mid-west with the establishment of a cancer charity.

The Mid-Western Cancer Foundation will support the work of Limerick’s Mid-West Cancer Centre, which provides an extensive range of treatment facilities and services, enabling patients to be treated locally.

The Mid-Western Cancer Foundation has been established by consultant oncologist and director of cancer services at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Professor Rajnish Gupta.

He said: “Its role will be to streamline donations to ensure that the best treatment, services and cutting-edge technology is available to cancer patients in the mid-west. The foundation’s main focus is to ensure funds donated are used as efficiently and effectively as possible. Funds raised will help supply the Mid-Western Cancer Centre with extra equipment and provide additional services for cancer patients, while also contributing towards education and cancer research.”

The foundation’s main fundraising event for 2008 will be its inaugural Butterfly Ball to held in the Hilton Hotel in Limerick on September 5.

It is hoped the Butterfly Ball will raise €50,000 towards the holistic care of patients and cancer research in the mid-west region.

Each year in Ireland, 20,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed and more than 7,500 deaths are caused by cancer. This accounts for almost one quarter of the annual death toll.

Prof Gupta, said: “The number of people diagnosed with cancer continues to increase and in the mid-west alone there are more than 1,400 people diagnosed each year. It is essential that cancer patients in the mid-west have the best possible care and access to up-to-date facilities and services. However, these services need to be constantly updated and expanded to accommodate the growing population and increasing number of patients with cancer in the mid-west.”

* Information on the foundation and the Butterfly Ball can be found at www.midwesterncancer centre.ie/researchfund/index.htm. Tickets for the ball are available from the Mid-Western Cancer Foundation on 061 210979 or 085 1261188.