For patients, families and carers
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
Australasian Lymphology Association
The Australasian Lymphology Association has a number of resources to help people to better understand lymphoedema and the treatments available.
Telephone: 1300 935 332
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
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
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)
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
Clinical trial information
For a collection of clinical trials available in Australia see the following sources of information:
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry
CounterPart
Peer support for women living with breast or gynaecological cancer. This support service offers high-quality evidence-based educational resources and a drop-in centre.
Telephone: 1300 781 500
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.
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
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.
