Midland lung cancer patients forced to pay or travel for vital treatment

The Institute for Respiratory Health is calling on the federal and state governments to urgently fix a major gap in cancer care that’s leaving lung cancer patients in the Midland region facing out-of-pocket costs or long daily trips for essential radiation treatment.

Right now, the only fully public radiation therapy clinic in Perth with no out-of-pocket costs is at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Nedlands. Lung cancer patients living in Midland and surrounding suburbs are being forced to travel across the city every day or pay hundreds of dollars to receive treatment locally at a private clinic.

Dr Dave Manners, respiratory physician and spokesperson for the Institute for Respiratory Health, said: “Lung cancer is a brutal disease. I sit with patients every week as we break the news and map out their treatment plan.

“For people in Midland the choices are unfair – either they pay hundreds of dollars to get treated locally or spend weeks driving to Nedlands for daily appointments.

“It’s not because we don’t have the right facilities in Midland. It’s because the system won’t fully fund their treatment locally. That’s not right. People should be focused on surviving cancer not on logistics or money.”

Radiation therapy is a critical part of treatment for many lung cancer patients. It’s often combined with surgery or chemotherapy and usually requires daily appointments over several weeks. The side effects can include fatigue, nausea and pain which makes travel especially difficult for those already unwell.

While this issue is urgent for lung cancer patients it also affects people with many other cancers who need radiation therapy. Midland’s private cancer centre is not fully covered for public patients. That leaves people with two bad options – pay or travel.

The Institute for Respiratory Health is calling for the state and federal governments to work together now. Public patients should be able to receive fully funded treatment at private radiation centres in Midland so no one is out of pocket or forced to travel unnecessarily.

A petition is still live asking for a publicly funded no-out-of-pocket radiation therapy service in Midland. The Institute for Respiratory Health urges the community to stand with patients and sign today – https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/LCePetitions.nsf/%28$All%29/BDAD0FDB0F1B62BF48258CF1000850F9?opendocument

The petition closes on Monday 8 December 2025.

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