Cancer Policy and Planning
Cancer Australia has been established to provide national leadership in cancer control and make recommendations to the Minister for Health and Ageing about cancer policy and priorities. We work collaboratively with the Department of Health and Ageing, in particular the Cancer Control section, and other portfolio agencies to meet these responsibilities and provide effective, evidence-based advice to the Minister.
We have established, or are managing, a number of initiatives to support our planning and policy advice to the Australian Government:
A national Strategic Forum
To support Cancer Australia’s cancer policy and planning activities, and ensure appropriate consultation and collaboration, Cancer Australia has established a national Strategic Forum. It includes representatives of the Australian Government, clinicians and senior health department officials in each state and territory government, consumers, and a representative from the New Zealand Cancer Control Council.
The broad aims of the forum are to generate discussion about strategic issues and to support a collaborative framework through which action can be taken to progress cancer control across Australia.
A review of national cancer control activity
A consortium of national cancer control and public health organisations, led by The Cancer Council Australia, has been contracted following an open tender process to complete the audit of cancer control activity and prepare a report and chartbook for Cancer Australia.
The review will collate and examine existing information (published and unpublished) about national cancer control activity in Australia to identify opportunities for building collaboration and capacity, and strengths, gaps and overlaps in activities and effort.
The report is currently being finalised.
An evaluation of Cancer Australia's activity
A project has begun to evaluate Cancer Australia’s activities between July 2006 and June 2009 to determine whether we are meeting our responsibilities efficiently and effectively.
The evaluation is being conducted by the Centre for Health Service Development at the University of Wollongong, in conjunction with researchers from the Centre for Research in Learning and Change at the University of Technology, Sydney.
The results of the evaluation should allow Cancer Australia to identify our strengths, and modify, strengthen or reconsider our our processes.
Cancer Australia contracted the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to provide a report that documents cancer survival and prevalence statistics in Australia for the first time.
The report quantifies which cancers have improving survival rates and which do not, and identifies a range of population subgroups with poorer survival outcomes.
The report provides benchmark data from which changes in cancer survival and prevalence over the next 10 years can be monitored.
The second National Sun Survey
Skin cancer is the most common cancer. In 2002, 374 000 Australians were treated for non-melanoma skin cancer, which is more than a 100 per cent increase since 1985.
Given the high incidence and the personal and economic costs associated with skin cancers, a strong emphasis on prevention is needed to reduce unnecessary exposure to ultraviolet rays.
The second National Sun Protection Survey was part funded by the Australian Government through Cancer Australia and by The Cancer Council Australia. The survey was conducted over the summer of 2006–07 by the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer at The Cancer Council Victoria, on behalf of The Cancer Council Australia. The centre has analysed results that provide a snapshot of current sun protection behaviours and attitudes and compare results with a baseline survey conducted in the summer of 2003–04.
The report provides comprehensive national data on skin cancer-causing risk behaviours, enables comparisons of adolescents’ and adults’ behaviour, monitor changes over time and helps plan and evaluate specific skin cancer prevention strategies, including assessing the impact of the first national skin cancer prevention campaign implemented in spring/summer 2006–07.