Cancer care in Australia

According to World Health Organization comparisons, Australian cancer patients generally have better cancer survival rates than those in other countries.1 In the last 30 years, the death rate for cancer in Australia (number of deaths per 100,000 people) has dropped by more than 24%.2 This trend is driven by treatment improvements and new interventions leading to more patients surviving from the most commonly diagnosed cancers, including bowel cancer and prostate cancer in males and breast cancer in females.3

And yet, Australia has one of the highest rates of cancer diagnosis internationally,4 with 134,000 new cases estimated to be diagnosed in 2018.2 This number is predicted to rise to 150,000 in 2020,2 due to Australia’s increasingly ageing population.5 Currently, an estimated 1.1 million (1 in 22) Australians are living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis.6 By 2040, it is estimated that 1 in 18 Australians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.6

Healthcare in Australia is largely publicly funded, but cancer patients report relatively high out-of-pocket health costs. The financial costs of cancer in Australia are unequally distributed, as some cancer types are more costly to the individual.7 Those in rural and remote areas often face greater out-of-pocket costs and can have difficulty accessing healthcare services.7

In Australia, cancer has a significant social and economic impact on individuals, families and the broader community. People in lower socioeconomic positions have higher rates of cancer burden, with patients in the lowest socioeconomic group experiencing 1.4 times the cancer burden of those in the highest group.7

All.Can Australia

The All.Can initiative began in Australia in late 2017, and was officially launched on World Cancer Day (4 February) 2018.

All.Can Australia, like its international counterparts, has one key mission: to improve cancer care by focusing on what matters to patients. The organisation has spent years working with a network of patients, healthcare professionals, policy makers and researchers to find where Australian patients’ unmet needs lie – and create practical solutions to improve their experience and the efficiency of care. It is led by the belief that efficient cancer care delivers the best possible health outcomes using the human, financial, infrastructural and technological resources available, with a focus on what really matters to patients and society.

All.Can Australia Limited became a newly incorporated entity in 2022 and is led by representatives from cancer organisations, consumer advocates, biopharmaceutical industry, pharmacists and university faculties.

Our achievements

  • 2017: Established a dedicated Steering Committee to represent the initiative and officially launched in Australia on World Cancer Day.
  • 2018: Established two key research projects to gather data from the macro level health system perspective and micro level clinical setting about common inefficiencies.
  • 2019: Launched the results of the global All.Can patient survey to key stakeholders and media.
  • 2020: Finalised the Australian research report, “An exploration of the cancer pathway in Australia”. This marked the publishing of Australia’s first research project to help establish a baseline understanding of the cancer pathway in Australia.
  • 2021: Finalised and launched the All.Can Australia Cancer Care Navigator Analysis Report, which outlined the potential benefits of establishing Australia’s first universal cancer care navigation model to patients and the Australian health system.
  • 2022: Became a standalone legal entity, All.Can Australia Limited, and pursued pilot opportunities for the Cancer Care Navigator model.

 

References

  1. AIHW. Cancer in Australia 2017; ix: 1039-3307. Available here: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-in-australia-2017/ [accessed: February 2018]
  2. Cancer Council Australia. Facts and Figures. Available here: https://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/facts-and-figures.html [accessed: February 2018]
  3. AIHW. Cancer mortality trends and projections Available here: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-mortality-trends-and-projections-2014-to-2025 [accessed: February 2018]
  4. International Agency for Research on Cancer (World Health Organization). Worldwide Cancer Incidence. Available here: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/sites/default/files/cs_infog_world_inc.pdf [accessed: February 2018]
  5. Australian Cancer Research Foundation. Cancer incidence and mortality in Australia. Available here: https://acrf.com.au/on-cancer/cancer-statistics-australia/ [accessed: February 2018]
  6. Cancer Council Australia. Australians living with and beyond cancer in 2040. Available here: https://www.cancerwa.asn.au/resources/2018-01-31-cancer-prevalence-in-2040.pdf [accessed: February 2018]
  7. AIHW. Burden of cancer in Australia: Australian Burden of Disease Study 2011. Available here: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/burden-of-disease/burden-of-cancer-in-australia-australian-burden-of-disease-study-2011/contents/table-of-content [accessed: February 2018]

Webinar – Delivering accessible cancer care: Breaking down silos to drive better navigation

Ahead of World Cancer Day, All.Can Australia brought together Australia’s most prominent thought leaders to tackle the issues around cancer care navigation in Australia. Cancer outcomes in Australia are among the best in the world, but these outcomes are not experienced equally by all Australians….

Read more

Contact

Secretariat: Palin Communications

all-can-australia@palin.com.au

The All.Can Australia Board is led by representatives from cancer/consumer organisations, biopharmaceutical industry, pharmacists and university faculties.

The aim for All.Can Australia is to reflect the full continuum of cancer care and to have representation that accurately reflects the cancer journey. This is through our Board representation and the third parties we work with.

All.Can Australia is co-chaired by Professor Christobel Saunders and Bill Petch. See below for full details of the All.Can Australia Board, which has been structured to encourage shared decision-making across all activities and is supported by Palin Communications as secretariat.

All.Can Australia Board members

Ben Harris

Private Healthcare Australia

James McAdam

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Kristin Michaels

The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia

Bill Petch

Independent

Nicola Richards

Independent

Professor Christobel Saunders

University of Melbourne

Plum Stone

Rare Cancers Australia

Kylie Woolcock

Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association

Professor John Zalcberg

Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University

Media release: All.Can Australia World Cancer Day webinar

Read All.Can Australia’s media release on the webinar, Delivering accessible cancer care: Breaking down silos to deliver better navigation: Media release – All.Can Australia webinar


Media release: Cancer Care Navigation Tasmanian pilot

Download All.Can Australia’s media release on the proposed Cancer Care Navigation pilot: Media release – All.Can Australia cancer care navigation Tasmanian pilot


Media release: Launch of Australia’s first pan-cancer navigation model

Download All.Can Australia’s media release on the launch of the Cancer Care Navigation model: Media release – All.Can Australia cancer care navigation launch


Media release: All.Can patient survey findings

Download All.Can Australia’s media release on the national-level survey findings: New cancer initiative identifies common ‘pain points’ that impact patient outcomes

Webinar – Delivering accessible cancer care: Breaking down silos to drive better navigation

Ahead of World Cancer Day, All.Can Australia brought together Australia’s most prominent thought leaders to tackle the issues around cancer care navigation in Australia. Cancer outcomes in Australia are among…

All.Can Australia Limited: A new chapter begins for the initiative

Since the establishment of All.Can in Australia five years ago, the initiative has endeavoured to help all patients – regardless of their cancer type, demographic, or location – to navigate…

Parties urged to back broad cancer care navigation pilot in Tasmania

Advocacy group All.Can Australia is calling on both sides of federal politics to commit to funding the first pilot site for a national approach to cancer care navigation in Tasmania.…

Australia’s first pan-cancer navigation model delivered by All.Can Australia research

New research developed by All.Can Australia in collaboration with research partner Healthcare Management Advisors (HMA) highlights the potential benefits of establishing Australia’s first pan-cancer navigation model. The All.Can Australia Cancer…

Co-intelligence: Knowledge exchange overtaking competition to drive global cancer care progress

By Prof. Christobel Saunders,  All.Can Australia Steering Committee member, Prof. Surgical Oncology University of Western Australia and in-coming James Stewart Chair of Surgery Royal Melbourne Hospital We have all experienced…

Technology is the missing link to change the future of cancer care

By Bill Petch, All.Can Australia Co-Chair Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be one of the most stressful and unbalancing moments in a person’s life. The delivery of the news itself…

SPCC Webinar Series – 12 April: What is efficiency in cancer care in Australia

The next SPCC webinar taking place on 12 April 2021 will discuss “What is efficiency in cancer care in Australia”. Among the speakers will be Prof. Christobel Saunders of University…

All.Can Australia kicks off Cancer Care Navigator Project

To mark the third anniversary of its creation, All.Can Australia has officially commenced its next project, which sets out to analyse the economic and patient impact of Cancer Care Navigators,…

All.Can Australia launches national data from patient survey

All.Can Australia has launched the results of the national-level findings from the All.Can international patient survey. 

Australia joins international patient survey to improve cancer care

Australians who have been diagnosed and treated for cancer have the opportunity to share their experiences with the world as part of a global research project.

All.Can Australia launches in the lead-up to World Cancer Day

Australia has become the latest country to launch a national All.Can initiative.

On-demand webinar: Delivering accessible cancer care: Breaking down silos to deliver better navigation

Click on the on-demand video below to hear from a panel of speakers as they examined the need to adopt innovative ways to improve navigation in cancer care and explore exactly how to create greater synergies so all Australians, especially those in remote communities, can overcome cancer care navigation challenges.

https://events.golive.com.au/88ec5dcf-d065-4fe5-ac52-105a34e98268/all.can#livestream

We are All.Can Australia – Prospectus

Read All.Can Australia’s interactive Prospectus to learn more about the organisations, its impact to date, aspirations and how you can get involved: All.Can Australia – Prospectus 2023


Cancer Care Navigator Analysis

Read All.Can Australia’s report on the assessment of the optimal role of cancer care navigators for Australian cancer patients and their families: All.Can Australia – CCN analysis report FINAL.


An Exploration of the Cancer Pathway in Australia

In 2019, All.Can Australia developed a report mapping out the cancer care pathway in Australia through consultations with stakeholders, download the full report here.


Video: Common inefficiencies impacting patient outcomes


Video: Using new research to improve patient outcomes

Disclaimer:

The All.Can initiative is made up of leading representatives of patient organisations, policymakers, healthcare professionals, science and industry. All the publications produced under the initiative reflect the consensus of All.Can Australia Board members who have full editorial control.

All.Can Australia has received funding from Bristol Myers Squibb and the pharmaceutical industry, and receives support from Palin Communications as secretariat.