Tiny Camera Plays a Vital Role in Cancer Treatment

TULLAMARINE, AUSTRALIA – November 2, 2009: Cancer patients at Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) in South Australia will benefit from a new Mediastinoscope, thanks to The Honda Foundation and Dave Potter Honda.

A donation of $13,000 to the Flinders Medical Centre Foundation has enabled the purchase of a Mediastinoscope for the FMC Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit to help keep waiting times for this important cancer-diagnostic surgery to a minimum.

A Mediastinoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a fibre-optic camera at one end. It is inserted through an incision in the chest and can perform biopsies to immediately diagnose the infiltration of cancer cells in the mediastinal lymph nodes from the patient’s lungs.

For patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer, this procedure indicates the severity and progression of the cancer and what course of treatment is required. These patients can be spared from an invasive lung operation if the cancer is found to have spread to the lymph nodes and gives surgeons greater flexibility in undertaking unplanned procedures.

“The Honda Foundation is proud to be able to assist a busy public hospital such as Flinders Medical Centre. Thanks to the support of local dealers such as Dave Potter Honda and Honda Australia, we have been able to provide a much-needed piece of equipment,” said Mr. Lindsay Smalley, Chairman of The Honda Foundation.

Deborah Heithersay, CEO of the Flinders Medical Centre Foundation, thanked The Honda Foundation for its support of the South Australian community in providing this vital piece of medical equipment.

“The Flinders Medical Centre Foundation uses financial support from the wider community to fund world class research at Flinders and to purchase vital medical equipment and upgrades for the hospital. We are extremely grateful for this donation from The Honda Foundation, which is a wonderful example of the opportunities which exist for large organisations to support the health and wellbeing of the South Australian community,” she said.

The Honda Foundation aims to provide assistance to local communities and foster goodwill between Honda Australia, Honda Motor Vehicle Dealers and the public. It draws funding from Honda Dealers and Honda Australia, who donate $15 ($5 and $10 respectively) for every Honda car sold.

For more information on The Honda Foundation and the organisations it supports, please visit www.hondafoundation.org.au