The team that developed a new cancer care centre at Cork University Hospital say advances in the centre's equipment and in the quality of training will mean better outcomes for their patients.
The Glandore Centre was opened this afternoon and will be commissioned on a phased basis over the next six months.
The centre cost more than €40m and has taken almost a decade to develop.
CUH is a designated national centre for the treatment of cancer, delivering cancer care to around 2,000 patients every year.
The centre will be the first public hospital facility in this country to offer surface-guided radiation treatment.
The centre's promoters say a number of technical and staffing advances will mean significantly better outcomes for patients.
Elaine Tierney from Riverstick, Co Cork underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy at CUH's old cancer unit when she was diagnosed with breast cancer this time last year.
Ms Tierney was one of the first people to tour the Glandore Centre and said patients will expect the new unit to deliver better results.
The Christie Foundation runs Europe's biggest single-site cancer centre in Manchester.
Staff from the Foundation said they have been involved in the development of the Glandore Centre and they will benchmark treatments against their own.
