A new cancer unit which will look after teenagers and young people from Norfolk, Suffolk and Camrbridgeshire, has been opened.

Many of the region's young cancer patients have to travel to Addenbrooke's Hospital for their specialist treatment.

The Teenage Cancer Trust has opened a new 11-bed unit at the Cambridge hospital which will be the principal treatment centre for 14 to 24-year-olds with cancer in East Anglia.

Thanks to support from across the region, the charity raised �2.9m towards the construction of the unit, and the hospital contributed �800,000.

This money has created a 'home-from-home' in which specialist staff will be able to deliver the care urgently needed by this group of young people, including a social zone, parents' room, chill out room and learning centre.

Dr Helen Hatcher, consultant oncologist, said: 'Evidence shows that a dedicated unit staffed by specialist consultants and nurses results in better survival rates and faster recovery. Past and present patients have had significant input into the facility's design and we hope it will not only provide the right care and support while undergoing treatment, but it will allow teenagers to be teenagers.'

The unit is expected to treat around 200 patients a year, and will be staffed by nurses, healthcare assistants, a ward clerk and three doctors.

Simon Davies, chief executive of Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), said: 'Today's opening is a real milestone for the charity. Not only will this be our 22nd TCT unit but it is also our first in East Anglia. This has been an excellent partnership between Cambridge University Hospitals and TCT, and we will continue to work together to provide an excellent standard of care for these young people.'