Cancer patients in North Queensland will soon have easier access to a PET scanner, with Cairns Base Hospital to receive funding from corporate savings and a State Government bonus.

However, with the PET scanner in Cairns, anyone North of the city needing access to the technology will still face lengthy travel times.

Cairns MP Gavin King said $3 million of the $3.8 million cost will be set aside for the Cairns scanner in tonight’s State Budget, with the HHS proving the remaining $800,000.

A local campaign launched almost a year ago called for funding for a Cairns machine, with cancer patients forced to make a nine hour roundtrip to access Townsville’s technology. Townsville has two PET scanners, the second federally funded after a Queensland Government request.

Now, Cairns area patients have easier access to the technology.

PET scanners use antimatter (positrons) to produce 3D images of the inside of a body. According to the Australian Research Council’s Centre for Excellence for Antimatter-Matter Studies, the machines can detect diseases, highlight brain function and demonstrate functioning of internal organs.

They are valuable in detecting early stages of cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological problems, and in preparation for surgery.