Consumer support and information

Cancer Australia aims to enhance support, information and participation in decision-making for all people affected by cancer. The terms ‘people affected by cancer’ and ‘consumers’ include people living with cancer, cancer survivors, carers and family members.

We have established a National Consumer Advisory Group to ensure that all our work demonstrates a consumer focus.  Members of this group are from all regions of Australia, and have diverse cancer experiences, backgrounds and skills.  Cancer Australia also appoints consumer representatives to each National Advisory Group, and all other working groups.

The National Consumer Advisory Group provides expert advice to Cancer Australia on current and emerging issues impacting on consumers. This advice is in relation to the specific programs allocated to the Cancer Australia work agenda.

The National Consumer Advisory Group works collaboratively with each of Cancer Australia’s National Advisory Groups and the other working groups of Cancer Australia, and its priorities are to:

• engage consumers in Cancer Australia’s work to reduce the disparity in outcomes for people and communities affected by cancer
• improve consumer information about cancer services,
• enable better consumer involvement and choice in treatment options, decision-making, access to clilnical trials and research, and
• strengthen the availability of coordinated, quality support for people affected by cancer.

Cancer Australia does not provide cancer services or advice for individuals.

As part of their work, Cancer Australia’s National Consumer Advisory Group have developed a Consumer Values Statement outlining some key values that they believe should be incorporated throughout Cancer Australia’s activities.  They would welcome feedback on this document, via the ‘Contact us’ feature on the website.   

Cancer Support Groups and Consumer Participation Resources 

Cancer Australia has launched four consumer publications.  

Two of these newly produced consumer resources, the Cancer support groups: A guide to setting up peer facilitated supports and Cancer support groups: A guide for peer facilitators have been designed to help organisations establish and maintain quality support groups for people living with cancer. 

The Consumer participation guide and the Consumer training and mentoring guide have been developed to support consumers to contribute meaningfully to national cancer policy and programs, whilst recognising and building upon the skills and experiences of consumers. The launch of the consumer publications recognises the importance of continually improving the services and support available to people living with cancer and their families and carers. The full suite of documents includes:

• Consumer participation guide
• Consumer training and mentoring guide
• Cancer support groups: A guide to setting up peer facilitated supports 
• Cancer support groups: A guide for peer facilitators

In this Consumer Support and Information section we also provide information for consumers about:

• Resources for consumers and cancer support groups
• Involvement
• Support options and our Cancer Support Networks grants program
• Care and treatment
• Clinical trials

[top]