Supportive care in cancer refers to the following five domains: physical domain, which includes a wide range of physical symptoms that may be acute, relatively short-lived or ongoing, requiring continuing interventions or rehabilitation (NBCC & NCCI 2003) psychological domain, which includes a range of issues related to the person’s mental health and personal relationships (NBCC…

In those patients with recurrent or residual disease there should be timely referral to the original multidisciplinary team (where possible) and thereby quick access to specialist input into care.

The lead clinician should ensure patients receive timely and appropriate referral to palliative care services. Referral should be based on need rather than prognosis. Patients may be referred to palliative care at initial diagnosis. Patients should be referred to palliative care at the first recurrence or progression. Carer needs may prompt referral. Early referral to…

For people from diverse backgrounds in Australia, a cancer diagnosis can come with additional complexities, particularly when English proficiency is poor. In some 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 those from culturally diverse…

The pathway for and manageing patients with recurrent or metastatic sarcoma is a continuum of care within the multidisciplinary team and recapitulates section 4. Treatment will depend on the location and extent of disease, timing of recurrence, previous management and the patient’s preferences. Participation in research and/or clinical trials should be encouraged where available and…

  The burden of cancer is higher in the Australian Indigenous population (AIHW 2014). Survival also significantly decreases as remoteness increases, unlike the survivorship rates of non-Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have high rates of certain lifestyle risk factors including tobacco smoking, higher alcohol consumption, poor diet and low levels of physical…

Participation in research and/or clinical trials should be encouraged where available and appropriate. Australasian Sarcoma Study Group is a national cooperative cancer clinical research group. It coordinates large-scale multi-centred sarcoma trials. Australian Cancer Trials is a national clinical trials database. It provides information on the latest clinical trials in cancer care, including trials that are…

If not already underway, referral to palliative care should be considered at this stage (including nursing, pastoral care, palliative medicine specialist backup, inpatient palliative bed access as required, social work, psychology/psychiatry and bereavement counselling), with general practitioner engagement. If not already in place, the patient and carer should be encouraged to develop an advance care…