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.

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.

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 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

Clinical trial information

For a collection of clinical trials available in Australia see the following sources of information:

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.

Melanoma Institute Australia

Primarily a research centre, Melanoma Institute Australia also provides education and patient support resources to people or carers affected by melanoma.

  • Telephone: (02) 9911 7200
  • Website

Melanoma Patients Australia

Melanoma Patients Australia is a national support and advocacy group for patients, family and friends affected by melanoma.

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.

SunSmart

SunSmart is a skin cancer prevention and early detection program. The program provides skin cancer prevention and early detection education, resources and support for workplaces, schools, early childhood services, health professionals and community members.

The free SunSmart app tells you when sun protection is recommended for your location using forecast information from the Bureau of Meteorology website and live UV data from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency.

Scan Your Skin

A skin cancer risk assessment questionnaire to assist people in assessing their skin cancer risk.

Australasian Lymphology Association

The Australasian Lymphology Association has a number of resources to help people understand lymphoedema and the treatments available.

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.

Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials

This organisation develops, conducts and publishes research and clinical trials that improve how melanoma and skin cancer is diagnosed and treated.

Melanoma Research Victoria

Melanoma Research Victoria provides multiple platforms to facilitate varying research disciplines to better understand all aspects of melanoma.

  • Telephone: (03) 8559 6530
  • Website

National Health and Medical Research Council

Information on clinical practice guidelines, cancer prevention and treatment.