Thanks to funds raised by Dry July, The Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre Westmead have been able to purchase iPads for their radiation treatment rooms, to entertain and distract patients during treatment.

During radiation treatment, patients are alone in the room for treatment whilst therapists control treatment from outside. The iPads mean that patients can select their own music to help make the treatment space for comfortable, and is more calming than the quiet, clinical environment usually found in radiotherapy bunkers.

The music has helped patients reduce anxiety and take their mind off the daily treatment, making them more relaxed.

There has been great feedback from the iPads, and many requests for a large range of music genre choices.

One patient, Beverley, recently commented that she enjoyed listening to the 60s and 70s jukebox music during treatment; "It's a great distraction and takes my mind off the event of treatment. It makes me feel happy and reduces my stress levels".

As told to Laura Adamson - one of our radiation therapists.