What we know about skin cancer Skin cancer is Australia’s most common, most costly, and one of the most preventable cancers. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. It is estimated that in 2022, 17,756 melanomas will have been diagnosed in Australia. Currently, two in three Australians will be diagnosed…
People in NSW to have access to voluntary assisted dying After a number of attempts over several years, the NSW Parliament passed legislation on 19 May 2022 that will see the introduction of voluntary assisted dying (VAD) arrangements in the state. People aged over 18 in NSW with a terminal illness who will die within…
New appointment – Professor Tracey O’Brien appointed CEO and Chief Cancer Officer at the Cancer Institute NSW. Professor O’Brien is a paediatric and adolescent haematologist and oncologist with more than 25 years of experience improving the outcomes of people with cancer in Australia and internationally. She has been Director of the Kids Cancer Centre at…
Cancer Council NSW has announced its 2022 Research Project Grants totalling over $5.3 million in funding for twelve new, world-class cancer research projects! ‘These eminent and emerging cancer researchers from across Australia are leading the charge towards a cancer free future by investigating new ways to diagnose and treat the disease.’ Learn more about each…
Inquiry into healthcare and health services in rural, regional and remote NSW hands down its findings to the NSW government This inquiry was established on 16 September 2020 to inquire into and report on health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote New South Wales and has just handed…
Cancer Australia calls for expressions of interest for consumers to participate in research grant reviews Cancer Australia is currently seeking expressions of interest from consumers to participate in reviewing research project grant applications as part of their Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme. This is an innovative, competitive, annual cancer research projects grant funding scheme, conducted…
Cancer Voices NSW welcomes the launch of the NSW Cancer Plan 2022-2027 – a Plan to lessen the impact of cancer. The NSW Cancer Plan 2022-2027 sets out a coordinated and collaborative approach to cancer control. It is the fifth cancer plan for NSW and builds on the success of previous plans, with the aim…
Meet Dr Adam Walker – Researcher Researcher Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader – Laboratory of ImmunoPsychiatry Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and University of New South Wales Your area of cancer research Cancer-related cognitive impairment (“chemobrain”) Sleep and circadian rhythm influences on cancer-induced inflammation How long have you had consumer representatives involved with your cancer…
Meet Sandie Foreman – Consumer Consumer My name is Sandie Foreman and I have Mesothelioma. In March 2016 I went to my GP after experiencing what felt like a pinched nerve in my abdomen. What motivated you to become a consumer representative? My experience with having cancer and wanting to contribute in some way to…
Meet Usha Salagame – Consumer Consumer Usha became a consumer representative in 2018 What motivated you to become a consumer representative? My professional and personal cancer experience. I had worked in cancer research for many years prior to my diagnosis. When I was diagnosed and treated for head and neck cancer, everything just came home…
Meet Maarit Laaksonen – Researcher Researcher Maarit is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of New South Wales Your area of cancer research I work across all cancers developing and applying novel methods to evaluate preventable cancer burden and its determinants. How long have you had consumer representatives involved with your cancer research? I…
Meet Dr Omid Faridani – Researcher Researcher Dr Faridani is interested in developing single-cell transcriptomic technologies to characterise circulating tumour cells (CTCs). CTCs are diverse cells in the form of single cells or cell clusters that are released by solid tumours into the circulation (blood circulation and lymphatic system). How long have you had consumer…
Meet Phil Mendoza Jones – Consumer Consumer Phil Mendoza Jones professional background is in the marketing and advertising field. He started his own consultancy in 1993. What motivated you to become a consumer representative? Having survived colon cancer and chemotherapy, I was invited to join the CIPN (chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy) research project at UNSW…
Meet Susan Ramus – Researcher Researcher Professor Susan Ramus is an ovarian cancer researcher within the School of Women’s and Children’s Health, and a member of the Adult Cancer Program in the Lowy Cancer Research Centre. She leads the Molecular Oncology Group. How long have you had consumer reps involved with your cancer research? I…
Meet Gill Stannard – Consumer Consumer Gill Stannard is a naturopath and mentor, with thirty years experience helping people, like you, feel better.Gill works primarily online, with naturopathic and mentoring clients around the country and worldwide. What motivated you to become a consumer representative? It’s the best use for my ‘survivor guilt’ (ovarian cancer has…
CVN 2022 Strategic Workshop CVN has held its 2022 strategic workshop which comprised three separate two hour webinars – 11 and 25 February and 8 April. We are grateful for the guidance and direction provided by our facilitator, consultant Graeme Gherashe. Graeme continues to support us on a pro bono basis. Graeme continued to challenge…
Consumer Involvement in Research (CIR) The CIR Program is starting to build momentum again, now that the grant season is almost upon us. To date, we have received eleven requests for consumers and I am pleased to say that we have had an enthusiastic response to these from my call-out to be involved. The next…
Young Australians’ Cancer Initiative (YACI) – interview with Geoffrey Yang 1. When and how did you learn about and become involved with YACI? I first learnt about the Young Australians’ Cancer initiative (YACI) in 2021 (in year 10), when one of our teachers emailed our grade about their High School Symposium and Competitions. Seeing as…
Young Australians Cancer Initiative You’re Never Too Young In November 2021, I was invited to participate in a YACI symposium with Year 10 High School students with the aim of broadening their knowledge of cancer diagnosis and treatment and encouraging them to take up an education pathway that would lead to a career in…
LGBTIQ+ palliative and end-of-life care resources Specific resources for LGBTIQ+ people have been recently developed with the title Taking control: LGBTQ+ Toolkit for Palliative Care and End of Life Decisions. You can access the resources here https://www.acon.org.au/what-we-are-here-for/palliative-care-support/ The resources emphasise that: It’s best to start having end of life conversations before you need to, even if it…
NSW Government recognises diversity and inclusion in first ever LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy In an important development for our state, the NSW Government recently released the first-ever LGBTIQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer) Health Strategy 2022-2027. The NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy (the Strategy) marks a significant commitment in the history of the NSW health system. The…
Focus on travel and accommodation costs for cancer patients in NSW Cancer Council NSW, through its pre-budget submission to the NSW Government, recently urged it to improve support for cancer patients, particularly in relation to ‘access to care for those in rural and regional NSW and to support the emotional and financial wellbeing of people…
Federal election imminent: what commitments need to be made to help improve the lives of those affected by cancer? With the federal election to be held before the end of May this year, cancer and broader health organisations have been developing election ‘manifestos‘ or ‘platforms’ for presentation to federal politicians in the lead-up to the…
Federal Budget: wins for cancer The recent Federal Budget contained some ‘wins’ for cancer, with significant funding allocated to a number of cancer types, including breast, prostate, pancreatic, bowel and some rare cancers. Rare Cancers Australia (RCA) described the budget as having a ‘promising focus on affordability and accessibility’. Chief Executive of RCA, Richard Vines,…
