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 from the Cancer Council website. First published in December 2015. This edition published in June 2021.…

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

Associate Professor Chris McCormack (Co-chair), Dermatologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Dr David Speakman (Co-chair), Surgeon, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Dr Felix Choi, General Practitioner, Australian Skin Cancer Clinics New South Wales Mr Wai-Ting Choi, Plastic Surgeon, Western Health Professor Jon Emery, Herman Professor of Primary Care Cancer Research, The University of Melbourne Dr Michelle Goh,…

Distress can occur for patients with perceived disfiguring scars, such as those that occur with skin grafting and surgical removal of keratinocyte cancer, particularly in the face, head and neck. Providing patients with tailored and accurate information before undergoing treatment, facilitating patient decisions regarding appearance-altering treatment, and meeting peers with similar personal experience may help…

Professor John Thompson (Chair), Surgical Oncologist, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, University of Sydney Dr Wai-ting Choi, Plastic Surgeon, Austin Health Dr Felix Choi, General Practitioner, Australian Skin Cancer Clinics Dr Alvin Chong, Dermatologist and Senior Lecturer, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Skin & Cancer Foundation Inc., The University of Melbourne Professor Jon Emery, General Practitioner, Professor…

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…

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…

Advance Care Planning Australia Allied Health Professions Australia Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine, Royal Australia College of Physicians Australian and New Zealand Society of Neuroradiology Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Care Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre Australian College of Nursing Australian Medical Association Australian Society of Medical Imaging…

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…

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 National Cancer Expert Reference Group Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Other stakeholders consulted…