Resource list
Advance Care Planning Australia
Advance Care Planning Australia provides national advance care planning resources for individuals, families, health professional and service providers. Resources include a national advisory service, information resources, a legal forms hub and education modules.
- Telephone: 1300 208 582
- Website
Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre
The Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre has developed information resources and events to help people move from initial treatment to post treatment and beyond, including those receiving maintenance treatments. While they do not provide clinical advice, they connect with a range of providers to enable improved care.
- Telephone: (03) 8559 6220
- Website
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has developed a resource for patients and carers explaining the coordination of care that patients should receive from their health service during cancer treatment. The resource is called What to expect when receiving medication for cancer care.
Beyond Blue
Beyond Blue provides information about depression, anxiety and related disorders, as well as about available treatment and support services.
- Telephone: 1300 22 4636
- Website
Camp Quality
Camp Quality gives kids facing cancer the chance to be kids again. Camp Quality’s services and programs are created specifically to support children aged up to 15 years who are dealing with their own cancer diagnosis or the diagnosis of someone they love, like a brother, sister, mum, dad or carer.
Camp Quality provides kids, their siblings and parents with fun experiences, education, specialised cancer care, counselling and a supportive community that is delivered in
hospital, online, at school and away from it all on camps and retreats.
- Telephone: 1300 662 267
- Website
Cancer Australia
Cancer Australia provides information for consumers, carers and their families including printed resources and video content.
Cancer Council’s Cancer Information and Support Service
Cancer Council 13 11 20 is a confidential telephone support service available to anyone affected by cancer. This service acts as a gateway to evidence-based documented, practical and emotional support available through Cancer Council services and other community organisations. Calls will be answered by a nurse or other oncology professional who can provide information relevant to a patient’s or carer’s situation. Health professionals can also access this service.
- Telephone: 13 11 20 – Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm (some states have extended hours)
- Website
Cancer Council’s Cancer Connect
Cancer Connect is a free and confidential telephone peer support service that connects someone who has cancer with a specially trained volunteer who has had a similar cancer experience.
A Connect volunteer can listen with understanding and share their experiences and ways of coping. They can provide practical information, emotional support and hope. Many people newly diagnosed with cancer find this one-to-one support very beneficial.
For more information on Cancer Connect call Cancer Council on 13 11 20.
Canteen
Canteen helps adolescents, young adults and parents to cope with cancer in their family. Canteen offers individual support services, peer support services and a youth cancer service, as well as books, resources and useful links.
- Telephone: 1800 835 932 to talk to a health professional about information and support for young people or 1800 226 833 for other enquiries
- Website
CareSearch Children and Adolescents
CareSearch’s paediatric page provides information for children and adolescents with
life-limiting illness.
Clinical trial information
For a collection of clinical trials available in Australia see the following sources of information:
- Cancer Australia
- Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry
- Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group
- ClinTrial Refer
- Clinical Trials for an international view.
CanEAT pathway
A guide to optimal cancer nutrition for people with cancer, carers and health professionals.
Guides to best cancer care
The short guides help patients, carers and families understand the optimal cancer care that should be provided at each step. They include optimal timeframes within which tests or procedures should be completed, prompt lists to support patients to understand what might happen at each step of their cancer journey and to consider what questions to ask, and provide information to help patients and carers communicate with health professionals.
The guides are located on an interactive web portal, with downloadable PDFs available in multiple languages.
Kids Helpline
Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free (even from a mobile), confidential 24/07 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to
- Qualified counsellors at Kids Helpline are available via WebChat, phone or email anytime and for any reason.
- Telephone: 1800 55 1800
- Website
Look Good, Feel Better
A free national community service program, run by the Cancer Patients Foundation, dedicated to teaching cancer patients how to manage the appearance-related side effects caused by treatment for any type of cancer.
- Telephone: 1800 650 960
- Website
Leukaemia Foundation
The Leukaemia Foundation provides specialist support, funds leading-edge research and advocates for Australians diagnosed with blood cancer. The foundation guides patients and their loved ones through the emotional, physical and psychosocial challenges of a blood cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.
The foundation’s team of qualified health professionals can answer questions, talk through concerns and connect patients to blood cancer support groups. The team can also help with practical concerns such as accommodation close to treatment, transport to appointments and financial assistance.
- Telephone: 1800 620 420
- Website
MDS Foundation
The MDS Foundation is a global non-profit advocacy organisation that for more than 25 years has supported patients and their
families as well as healthcare providers in the fields of MDS and its related diseases. The foundation supports and educates patients, their communities and healthcare providers, and contributes to innovative research in the fields
of MDS and its related continuum of diseases to better diagnose, control and ultimately cure these diseases.
Paediatric palliative care
Paediatric palliative care provides practical information about paediatric palliative care to families who have a child with a life-limiting illness, as well as the people who support them. Information is also available for health professionals to better support families and provide quality paediatric palliative care.
Quitline
Quitline is a confidential, evidence-based telephone counselling service. Highly trained Quitline counsellors use behaviour change techniques and motivational interviewing over multiple calls to help people plan, make and sustain a quit attempt.
Quitline is a culturally inclusive service for all, and Aboriginal counsellors are also available. Health professionals can refer patients to Quitline online or via fax.
- Telephone: 13 7848
- Website or the relevant website in your state or territory.
Redkite
“Redkite is Australia’s leading childhood cancer support organisation, providing free practical, emotional and financial support for all members of families with a child with cancer (aged 18 or under). Redkite support is confidential and free to anyone connected to a child with cancer.
Support includes counselling for all members of the family including children, peer support
groups, financial assistance and help to connect with other relevant support services.”
- Telephone: 1800 733 548
- Website
Ronald McDonald House
Ronald McDonald Houses are a home-away- from-home for families of seriously ill children being treated at nearby hospitals. Rather than spending the night in a hospital waiting room, family members can stay in comfort at a Ronald McDonald House and receive support from staff, volunteers or other families that are sharing similar experiences.
- Telephone: 1300 307 642
- Website
Youth Cancer Service
Youth Cancer Services are hospital-based multidisciplinary teams providing care and support for 15–25-year-olds with cancer. In addition to providing high-quality, age-
appropriate cancer care, Youth Cancer Services provide leadership and support to other health professionals and services. There are five Youth Cancer Service lead sites across Australia linked to a network of more than 25 hospitals to enable every young person with cancer to access age- appropriate psychosocial and medical care.
Youth Cancer Services provide information for patients and healthcare providers on finding a Youth Cancer Service, the services offered, and many aspects of cancer treatment and life after cancer.
Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre
Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre The Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre provides expertise in survivorship care, information, support and education. Its purpose is to support and enable optimal survivorship care.
- Telephone: (03) 8559 6220
- Website
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has developed a guide for clinicians containing evidence-based strategies to support clinicians to understand and fulfil their responsibilities to cancer patients.
This guide is particularly relevant to Steps 3 to 6 of the optimal care pathway. The guide is titled NSQHS Standards user guide for medication management in cancer care for clinicians
Cancer Australia
Information for health providers including guidelines, cancer learnings, cancer guides, reports, resources, videos, posters and pamphlets.
Cancer Council Australia
Information on prevention, research, treatment and support provided by Australia’s peak independent cancer authority.
CanEAT pathway
A guide to optimal cancer nutrition for people with cancer, carers and health professionals.
eviQ
A clinical information resource providing health professionals with current evidence-based, peer-maintained, best practice cancer treatment protocols and information relevant to the Australian clinical environment.
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) is the national leadership body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Australia. NACCHO provides advice and guidance to the Australian
Government on policy and budget matters and advocates for community-developed solutions that contribute to the quality of life and improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
National Health and Medical Research Council
Information on clinical practice guidelines, cancer prevention and treatment.
National consensus statement: essential elements for safe and high- quality paediatric end-of-life care
Produced by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, the consensus statement describes the elements that are essential for delivering safe and high-quality end-of-life care to children in acute care settings in Australia.
Optimal care pathway for adolescents and young adults with cancer
At the time of publication, a population based optimal care pathway for adolescents and young adults with cancer was under development. This resource provides a tool to help guide system safety and responsiveness to the unique needs of adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer and improve outcomes and experience. It can be used in conjunction with the optimal care pathway for each cancer type.
Quality of Care Collaborative Australia The QuoCCA project delivers paediatric palliative care education to health professionals in urban,
rural, regional and remote areas who may care
for children and young people with palliative and end-of-life care needs.
Thinking ahead framework
The Thinking ahead framework helps plan ahead for interventions that reflect the preferences of the child and their family and the recommendations of the treating team in the event of an acute deterioration.
- Telephone: (03) 9345 5522
- Website
Youth Cancer Service
Youth Cancer Services are hospital-based multidisciplinary teams providing care and support for 15–25-year-olds with cancer. There are five Youth Cancer Service lead sites across Australia linked to a network of more than 25 hospitals.
Youth Cancer Services teams conduct outreach and secondary consultations with their colleagues across the health system to support best practice care of young cancer patients, regardless of treatment setting.
Each state/territory adapts this coordinated, multidisciplinary model of care to align with local needs, network structures, local frameworks and broader adult and paediatric service models.
Integration with primary and community-based care is critical both in facilitating referrals into Youth Cancer Service teams and ensuring continuity of care post-treatment.
The overall program is coordinated at the national level by Canteen. This facilitates a consistent national approach to youth cancer care and drives critical national initiatives, including professional development, national data collection and research, improved access to clinical trials and the development and implementation of national guidelines.
Importantly, young people with cancer and their families are engaged and consulted at all stages of development, implementation and delivery of the Youth Cancer Services program to ensure optimal outcomes for young Australian cancer patients (Canteen Australia 2017, p. 8).