One of the Island's oldest charities, Bermuda TB Cancer and Health Association has received permission to build a new $3 million Cancer Resource Centre in Paget.

Charity President Judy Siddle-Simons said: "This is fabulous news. Now we can get the fund-raising campaign into full swing in the next couple of weeks.

"Hopefully in the new year we can break ground.'' She said the centre was still in the early stages of raising the money to build the $3.2 million centre, after spending around $1 million on buying the Point Finger Road site.

The charity offers breast and bone cancer screening but new features for the 12,000 square foot site will be a cancer library.

"It will help the public research better about cancer so they can make informed decisions before travelling overseas. We will give family counselling and we hope to have a specialist cancer nurse.'' "We will move the whole set-up from Cedar Avenue and we hope to have the building completed by 2003.'' The new centre has been two years in the planning and it will provide the first comprehensive cancer resource centre for patients and their families.

The centre will provide education about cancer diagnosis and treatment options, on-line resources, counselling and a meeting space for support groups.

The Association employs a staff of ten with six full-time, including two radiographers and two nurses, a clerical technician and a public relations and education officer. While the association was originally founded in 1945 to assist patients with tuberculosis, today the organisation continues to expand its role to address prevention and early detection of major health concerns such as prostate cancer, skin cancer, lung disease and women's health.

Early detection of breast cancer through mammography is one of the Association's primary functions. Between 600 and 700 mammograms are done each month.