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…

In the past two decades, the number of people surviving cancer has increased. International research shows there is an important need to focus on helping cancer survivors cope with life beyond their acute treatment. Cancer survivors experience particular issues, often different from patients having active treatment for cancer. Many cancer survivors experience persisting side effects…

Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre Has general and tumour-specific information, primarily focused on the post-treatment survivorship phase Telephone: (03) 9656 5207 Website Australasian Sarcoma Study Group A national cooperative cancer clinical research group that coordinates large-scale multi-centred sarcoma trials. ASSG houses ‘Sarcoma Australia’ – a collaborative of community organisations that provide support and information for people…

Australian Cancer Trials Information on the latest clinical trials in cancer care, including trials that are recruiting new participants Website Australasian Sarcoma Study Group A national cooperative cancer clinical research group that coordinates large-scale multi-centred sarcoma trials Telephone: 1800 177 657 Cancer Australia Information for health professionals including guidelines, cancer guides, reports, fact sheets, DVDs,…

All patients with suspected sarcoma should be referred to a specialist sarcoma multidisciplinary team before biopsy (Cancer Council Australia Sarcoma Guidelines Working Party 2014, ESMO 2014a, ESMO 2014b). Patients aged under than 16 years should attend a paediatric specialist treatment centre. Patients aged 16–18 years should attend either a paediatric or adult specialist centre with…

The lead clinician should discuss the patient’s use (or intended use) of complementary or alternative therapies not prescribed by the multidisciplinary team to identify any potential toxicity or drug interactions. The lead clinician should seek a comprehensive list of all complementary and alternative medicines being taken and explore the patient’s reason for using these therapies…