MEN in Wangaratta and surrounds will be able to access quicker and safer prostate cancer treatment following a $300,000 grant from the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund.

Northeast Health Wangaratta (NHW) will use the money to purchase a state–of–the–art ultrasound machine and other specialist biopsy equipment currently only available locally in Wodonga.

This will not only slash wait times, but also allow men in the Wangaratta district to have the procedure done close to their home and support networks.

Trust Fund board member Bryan Blake said the charity was proud to be able to support cancer services in Wangaratta, and thanked a Rutherglen couple who made a significant donation towards the equipment.

"The donation from the Horne Family Trust has probably started something off to take us into a new era in our local area of philanthropic donations," he said.

"We thank them for their incredible donation, as well as everyone who has supported our local charity in any way."

Urologist Mark Forbes welcomed the funding with the new transperineal unit set to improve the accuracy of biopsies, and allow Wangaratta to deliver radiation therapy in a new way to reduce the infection risk to patients.

He said the equipment used in these biopsies has been available for 4–5 years, but about 250 patients a year have had to travel to Wodonga or Melbourne to access diagnosis an...