The multidisciplinary team may include the following members: care coordinator (as determined by multidisciplinary team members)* medical oncologist / neuro-oncologist* neuropathologist* neuroradiologist* neurosurgeon* nurse (with appropriate expertise)* radiation oncologist* social worker* Aboriginal health practitioner, Indigenous liaison officer or remote general practitioner clinical trials coordinator dietitian exercise physiologist fertility specialist general practitioner geneticist neurologist neuropsychologist nuclear…

Professor Mark Rosenthal (Chair), Medical Oncologist, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Professor Kate Drummond, Neurosurgeon, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and The University of Melbourne Professor Hui Gan, Medical Oncologist, Austin Health Associate Professor Alexander Holmes Consultant Psychiatrist, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and The University of Melbourne Professor…

Alfred Health Cancer Australia Cancer Council Victoria, Strategy and Support Division Cancer Institute New South Wales Concord Repatriation General Hospital New South Wales Consumer representative Department of Health Victoria, Commissioning and System Improvement Division, Cancer Unit Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Other stakeholders consulted to provide feedback including Integrated…

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…

Our thanks to the following health professionals, consumer representatives, stakeholders and organisations consulted in developing this optimal care pathway.

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…

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 wellbeing and personal relationships the…

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…

A diagnosis of cancer may present additional challenges to people 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, people who are known to have a mental…

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to the land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present and emerging. This work is available at the Cancer Council website. First published in August 2015. This edition published in June 2021.…