AUSTRALIAN CANCER CARE NETWORK LAUNCHES TO LINK SERVICES TO POPULATION, CLINICIANS & RESEARCHERS
Aims to reduce health system disparities and tackle cancers with low survival rates
The landscape of cancer care in Australia is set to transform with the Australian Government launch in May 2024 of the Australian Comprehensive Cancer Network (ACCN) at the Innovations Showcase event, hosted by Cancer Australia in Sydney, Australia.
The ACCN is a nationally integrated system of cancer care, aimed at enhancing patient experiences and outcomes through coordinated and equitable access, by linking to comprehensive cancer services across Australia. Anchored by Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs), the ACCN strives to deliver evidence-driven prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and support to all Australians affected by cancer.
Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) will serve as anchors in the ACCN, connecting various cancer control services nationwide. Through building partnerships and harnessing virtual connectivity, CCCs will collaborate with other cancer care centres, academic institutions, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, regional hospitals and allied health services, among others.
While Australia has some of the world’s highest cancer survival rates, not all people experience equal outcomes. There are significant disparities in cancer outcomes for some populations, particularly affecting those in rural and remote regions, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The ACCN aims to address these disparities, emphasising coordinated and equitable access to comprehensive cancer services irrespective of where a person lives, and marking a significant milestone in the advancement of cancer care in Australia.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Professor Dorothy Keefe CEO, Cancer Australia on the ACCN launch and the network being a major milestone in the Australian Cancer Plan, which was launched at the end of 2023.
Participation in the ACCN is voluntary, with services committing to a set of standards focusing on comprehensive cancer care, equitable access, research excellence, data collection, workforce development, and network connectivity. Importantly, the ACCN will complement existing networks and alliances within the cancer care landscape, fostering collaboration and maximising resources.
All services and professionals involved in cancer care are encouraged to join the ACCN and contribute to this transformative initiative.
“As part of the implementation of the Australian Cancer Plan launched in November, the ACCN represents an essential stage towards achieving our goals of improving cancer outcomes and experiences for all Australians.”, says Professor Keefe.
She points out, “To achieve world class cancer outcomes for all Australians and realise the ambition of the Australian Cancer Plan, we need collective action from all sectors of health care to address issues that contribute to variation in cancer outcomes and experience.”
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Michael is a urology nurse practitioner with a special interest in prostate cancer survivorship, and has worked in urology for the past ten years. Michael has completed the Prostate Nursing Care course at Latrobe University, Graduate Certificate of Health with a specialisation in Scheduled Medicines (USQ), and the Master of Nursing (Flinders) to become a Nurse Practitioner in 2024.
As a Urology Nurse Practitioner he divides his time between the Australian Prostate Centre and Western Urology.
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Tara Hurster, is the CEO of The TARA Clinic and a psychologist who started working within the area of addiction in 2010. The TARA clinic, short for Therapeutic Addiction Recovery Assistance, recently started offering online programs to overcome and recover from addiction.
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New clinical research entity first to operate across both Australia and New Zealand
Over the past 30 years, 18,000 clinical trials that have been registered in Australia, with the sector contributing $1.4 billion to Australia’s economy annually. Trials are a critical aspect of evidence-based medicine, and are essential for testing how new treatments, tests and vaccines will work. In New Zealand they contribute $146 million to the New Zealand economy.
To capitalise on this unique position and growth, a coordinated multi-site clinical research operation was missing, until now.
