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About us

Our aim at Albury Wodonga Cancer Care is to provide high quality, affordable and compassionate cancer care to the border region and northeast Victoria.  We treat all cancers with the exception of the haematological malignancies.  We can also assist GPs and other specialists in the diagnostic work-up of patients suspected to have cancer.  Most patients are seen within two weeks of us receiving a referral.

Because there is no free public service in our region, we opened our practice in September 2021 to provide affordable care for patients in our region without compromising on quality.

We have previously been able keep our costs low which means that we have been able to provide bulk-billed consultations to all patients, regardless of insurance status.  Unfortunately, given the failure of Medicare to keep up with high inflation, from July 2024, we are transitioning to a mixed billing policy, where some patients will be required to pay an out-of-pocket consultation fee.  Many patients will still be eligible for bulk billing however.  Existing patients will be notified of the fee structure at their upcoming appointments.

Locations

Albury

We consult on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at our consulting rooms in West Albury.

Patients who require chemotherapy or immunotherapy are treated at The Border Cancer Hospital in East Albury as day patients.  Patients who require an inpatient stay are cared for at the same site.  Both Dr Hamilton and Dr Xu have admitting rights to the hospital.

Wangaratta

Patients who live in Wangaratta and the surrounding area have the option to be seen in Wangaratta.  Dr Xu consults in Wangaratta every Tuesday, and Dr Hamilton consults every Wednesday.

Our consulting room is located at the Wangaratta Private Hospital and patients can be treated at Northeast Health Wangaratta.

Dr Brett Hamilton

Medical Oncologist

Dr Hamilton graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Science in 2006 with first class honours in pharmacology. He graduated medical school from Monash University in 2011 and completed a Masters in Medical Statistics in 2021.

Dr Hamilton trained in medical oncology through the Macarthur and Liverpool Cancer Centres, before doing a rural/tertiary specialised training program through Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and The Alan Coates Cancer Centre in Dubbo. He admitted to the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2018.

Throughout his career, Dr Hamilton has maintained a strong interest in the delivery of oncology services in regional settings and has had prior experience in Bowral, Bathurst, Dubbo, Cobar and Coonabarabran.  He is a current chair of The Cancer Institute of NSW’s EVIQ service, responsible for the development and publication of internationally recognised cancer treatment guidelines.

Dr Hamilton moved to Albury as a medical oncologist in 2019 and treats all solid malignancies.  He also works as a physician in general medicine for Albury Wodonga Health.

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Dr Kay Xu

Medical oncologist

Dr Xu graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Medical Science in 2007 before graduating medical school at Monash University in 2011.  

Dr Xu underwent specialist training in medical oncology through The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Macarthur Cancer Centre in Sydney and was a fellow at the Melanoma Institute of Australia.  She was admitted to the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2020 and moved to Albury in 2021.

Throughout her training, Dr Xu has gained considerable experience in specialist breast cancer and melanoma clinics, and in managing patients on clinical trials.  She is currently undergoing a Masters in Biostatistics through University of Sydney.

Dr Xu treats all solid organ malignancies, with particular interests in breast cancer, melanoma and cancers of the genitourinary tract.  Dr Xu also works as a physician in general medicine for Albury Wodonga Health.

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FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

All patients require a referral to be seen.  If you think you may have cancer, please see your GP about your concerns urgently.  If you are being seen by another oncologist and are moving to the region or are seeking a second opinion, please ask your GP, oncologist or other specialist for a referral.

If you are a current patient of ours, please call to book.

Your first appointment will be booked for one hour.  It is likely we will discuss your diagnosis, further tests that may be required and your treatment options. We may discuss your prognosis if you are comfortable talking about it.

Before your appointment, we will ask you to complete a short form which should only take 10-15 minutes. Please arrive early to the appointment to complete the paperwork if possible.

Please bring your Medicare card and your private health insurance details if relevant. It is very helpful if your bring a list of your medications and other doctors that you see. 

A new cancer diagnosis is often overwhelming and it can be very helpful to bring one or two support people to help you remember the information we discuss.  If you think of any questions you want to ask, it is useful to write them down and bring the list along to your appointment.

If you require chemotherapy or immunotherapy, it will be done at The Border Cancer Hospital in East Albury. This facility is run by Ramsay Health.

If you have private health insurance you may need to pay your excess, but then there should be minimal out-of-pocket costs.  Public patients are treated at the same facility under Medicare free-of-charge.

You may require medications to take home to manage possible side effects. These will cost the same as a normal chemist prescription and there is usually only two or three medications required.

If you think it may be an emergency, call 000.  Most patients on treatment will have access to the on-call chemotherapy nursing service. During normal business hours, this is the best point of contact. 

If it is outside normal business hours and urgent, we would recommend attending the nearest emergency department.

Location

1130 Padman Dr. 
West Albury, NSW 2640

Email

admin@alburywodongacancercare.com

Contact us

Phone: (02) 6022 4299
Fax: (02) 6022 4298