Our aim was to provide a comforting environment for patients

Hazel Neill Senior nurse

Hazel Neill, a senior nurse at the unit, said patients had been treated in temporary accommodation prior to the existence of the new unit.

"The benefits of this unit are that we were able to design and plan the unit with the patients in mind," she said.

"Our aim was to provide a comforting environment for patients. One that's less clinical than we've been used to in the past."

The unit is the result of a joint venture between the National Health Service and the Macmillan Cancer Relief charity, which donated �500,000 to the project.

Heather Monteverde from the Macmillan charity said the unit was built "very much with the patient in mind".

Genetics

"Macmillan seeks to keep the patient at the centre of cancer services," she said.

Patients will still have to travel to Belfast for radiotherapy treatment.

In January, a new scheme was launched at Craigavon Area Hospital which tries to determine if people carry a cancer gene.

The Northern Ireland Cancer Genetics Service started the venture which aims to prevent cancer developing in people whose families have a history of the disease.

It was hoped the scheme will detect cancer not just in its early stages, but even before it begins to develop.