Patient stories

Our purpose is to improve the lives of our patients, their families and our communities, with our patient-first strategy placing patients at the centre of our care.

But don't take our word for it, read some of our patient stories here.

World first cancer treatment gives hope to Melbourne mum

A groundbreaking approach to treating stage four cancer has given new hope to some patients diagnosed with the life threatening disease.

Melbourne woman Debbie was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2006, and had been classified as stage four since 2008.

Cancer care at home a lifesaver for Patricia

It was April last year, and Melbourne was in lockdown chaos. But Patricia McCabe had a much more personal crisis happening – she’d just found a lump under her arm, and it was breast cancer.

Within a month, Patricia was able to start treatment at The Alfred – including a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Home for Christmas: Lizzy’s Story

When 31 year old Lizzy Maric woke up in the middle of the night in May this year feeling faint she immediately knew something wasn’t right.

Within 24 hours doctors had identified an 11cm tumour on her chest and told her to prepare for the worst.

Matt was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour called a glioblastoma

Matt was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour called a glioblastoma - he's recently completed six weeks of radiation therapy. For patients like Matt, after having brain surgery the next step in brain cancer treatment is radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Watch our video where A/Prof Sasha Senthi and his patient Matt, talk us through how radiation therapy works.

Paying it forward

When Alfred ICU and hyperbaric nurse Natalie McGregor was diagnosed with cancer, she found out how hard it was to be a patient – it left her emotionally and physically drained.

Out the other side of that illness, Natalie feels that she’s a better nurse, more aware of how to help her patients. Now she’s paying it forward.

On the road towards a cure

“When you have a brain tumour it never ends well. No one can predict how soon it might grow back. You’re dealt the hand your given, then you have to play it the best you can,” said Anthony.

Last January, after having a seizure Anthony was taken to Frankston hospital for a computerized tomography (CT) scan. The doctors saw what they suspected to be a tumour, and he was sent to The Alfred for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.