Pink tongs, plates and balloons surrounded fresh cakes and snacks baked that morning by centre staff to raise funds for local sufferers.

It was a worthy cause with money raised being distributed equally between Lourdes Hospital and the McGrath Foundation, Orana Radiology manager Peter Bass said.

“We’re donating $5 for everyone who comes in to each,” he said.

Lourdes Hospital senior occupational therapist Brenda Svensson hoped to purchase compression sleeves for lymphodema patients.

“After treatment, womens’ arms can start to swell,” she said.

“And initially they’d have to pay for compression sleeves themselves to reduce the swelling.”

Those sleeves can cost between $50 and $350 so Ms Svensson and the staff at Lourdes Hospital set up an assistance scheme to help women pay for that aspect of treatment. They’ve helped 33 people in the Dubbo region and provided 37 sleeves, she said.

“We used to hear stories of people unable to leave the house because of swelling ... now, with the right treatment, it’s something people don’t have to worry about,” Ms Svensson said.