The multidisciplinary team may include the following members: care coordinator (as determined by multidisciplinary team members)* gynaecological oncologist* radiation oncologist* oncology/gynaecology nurse* medical oncologist* pathologist with expertise in gynaecological oncology* radiologist* Aboriginal health practitioner, Indigenous liaison officer or remote general practitioner clinical trials coordinator dietitian exercise physiologist fertility specialist if necessary general practitioner geneticist and…

A diagnosis of cancer may present additional challenges to women who have pre-existing chronic mental health or psychiatric concerns, resulting in exacerbation of their mental health symptoms. This may include heightened anxiety, worsening depression or thoughts of self-harm. As poor adjustment and coping can affect treatment decisions, women who are known to have a mental…

People who identify as sexually or gender diverse may have unique needs following a cancer diagnosis. Sexually or gender diverse identities include (but are not limited to) people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, collectively ‘LGBT’. There is no universally agreed upon initialism to describe this community, with other terms such as queer/questioning…

Appendix A: Supportive care domains Supportive care in cancer refers to the following five domains: the physical domain, which includes a wide range of physical symptoms that may be acute, relatively short lived or ongoing, requiring continuing interventions or rehabilitation the psychological domain, which includes a range of issues related to the patient’s mental health…

Complementary therapies may be used together with conventional medical treatments to support and enhance quality of life and wellbeing. They do not aim to cure the patient’s cancer. Instead, they are used to help control symptoms such as pain and fatigue (Cancer Council Australia 2019). The lead clinician or health professional involved in the patient’s…

Consider a referral to a psychologist, psychiatrist, pastoral/spiritual care practitioner, social worker, specialist nurse or a relevant community-based program if the patient has these issues: displaying emotional cues such as tearfulness, distress that requires specialist intervention, avoidance or withdrawal being preoccupied with or dwelling on thoughts about cancer and death displaying fears about the treatment…

The transition from active treatment to post-treatment care is critical to long-term health. In some cases, patients will need ongoing, hospital-based care, and in other cases a shared follow-up care arrangement with their general practitioner may be appropriate. This will vary depending on the type and stage of cancer and needs to be planned. Shared…

Cancer is the third leading cause of burden of disease for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. While Australia’s cancer survival rates are among the best in the world, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to experience a different pattern of cancer incidence and significant disparities in cancer outcomes compared with non-Indigenous Australians. For…

Refer to Cancer Australia’s Shared follow-up care for women with low-risk endometrial cancer: a guide for general practitioners. Responsibility for follow-up care should be agreed between the lead clinician, the general practitioner, relevant members of the multidisciplinary team and the patient. This is based on guideline recommendations for post-treatment care, as well as the patient’s…

For people from culturally diverse backgrounds in Australia, a cancer diagnosis can come with additional complexities, particularly when English proficiency is poor. In many languages there is not a direct translation of the word ‘cancer’, which can make communicating vital information difficult. Perceptions of cancer and related issues can differ greatly in people from culturally…