Breast cancer is the most common form of the disease among UK women

The South West Wales Cancer Care Unit at Singleton Hospital has the most modern equipment which will improve treatment for the area.

Over �1m came from a newspaper appeal inspired by a 21-year-old local woman, Sally Davies, who died from cancer.

She travelled to London for specialist treatment, and her mother did not want anyone else to have to do the same.

Madeleine Davies said: "'We've obviously got mixed feelings in as much as it wasn't there for Sally, but the cancer centre stands as a legacy to her.

One is keen to try and prevent rather than cure Dr Simon Ryde

"I am delighted to think that no other mother will have to go though what I went through.

"And that no cancer patient will have to be left emotionally torn as Sally was at a terrible time in our lives."

The unit, which includes new facilities for diagnosis and treatment as well as a new base for palliative care, was funded by the Swansea-based South Wales Evening Post's "make it a million" campaign. �10.2m came from the Welsh Assembly Government.

Dr Simon Ryde, a clinical scientist at the hospital who oversaw the project, said: "We have a number of facilities now that really are state-of-the-art which will hopefully help us to improve the care that we give.

"Computer-controlled machines that allow us to perhaps do things quicker than we used to do, and it also opens up opportunities to do things that we haven't actually been able to do in the past.

"One is keen to try and prevent rather than cure."

He said he was extremely grateful for the public support.

"Without it we wouldn't have been able to achieve everything that has been achieved so far," he added.

Mrs Davies said that when her daughter was ill things would have been easier for them if she had been treated in the city.

"I feel it's going to make such a great difference to so many people's lives in south west Wales.

"It will give people confidence and comfort at a time when they really really need it."

Cancer patients living in mid Wales are also expected to benefit from treatment at the unit in Swansea.