Cancer Australia today released the Principles of Cancer Survivorship, which provide a national framework to guide policy, planning and health system responses to cancer survivorship, focusing on the health and wellbeing of people living with and beyond cancer.
Cancer Australia CEO Dr Helen Zorbas said that Australia has among the highest cancer survival rates in the world.
“Due to improvements in diagnosis, earlier detection and advances in treatment, more Australians are surviving cancer than ever before. An estimated 1.1 million people living in Australia have had a diagnosis of cancer*,” said Dr Zorbas.
“With the number of cancer diagnoses projected to increase by nearly 40% between 2015-2025, there is an ongoing need to address the long-term health and wellbeing of people affected by cancer.
“Cancer Australia has developed the Principles of Cancer Survivorship to guide planning and health system responses which better support people to live well after cancer,” Dr Zorbas said.
The Principles are supported by intended outcomes and underpinned by elements to achieve personalised care, opportunities for self-management and an emphasis on recognising and incorporating patient experiences. The Principles focus on patients’ ongoing management, recovery, health and wellbeing during and after cancer treatment.
Development of the Principles was undertaken through a process of consultation and engagement with national leaders in survivorship care, including people affected by cancer.
The Principles are designed to complement and support existing activities in survivorship and underpin national approaches to evidence-based high quality cancer survivorship across the continuum of care.
* Excluding basal or squamous cell carcinoma
