Overview

Under the Improving Cancer Outcomes Act 2014, the Victorian Government is committed to developing a state-wide cancer plan every four years.

Cancer impacts many Victorians and our survival rates are among the best in the world, with more people now living with or beyond cancer. However, outcomes are not equal for all cancers and some people. To improve cancer outcomes, we need to work together to continually improve our world-leading cancer care system and adopt long-term approaches to these complex challenges.

The development of the Victorian cancer plan 2020-2024 provides an opportunity for Victorians to have a say on how to improve cancer outcomes.

Along with this online consultation, a series of community workshops are currently being hosted across the state, for more information on these sessions please visit the Department of Health Victorian Cancer Plan website.

Survey

The Victorian cancer plan 2016 – 2020 includes five key action areas. Each action area is supported by clear priorities that help to achieve the plan’s desired outcomes.

The next cancer plan (2020-2024) will provide continuity for these action areas and priorities. The department has some ideas about what we should focus on over the next four years to address these priorities and would like your feedback.


Action area 1: Primary prevention

Priorities:

  • Reduce risk factors related to lifestyle and environmental hazards
  • Prevent cancers related to viral infections
    • Q1. How important are each of the following suggested actions to address these priorities?
    Very important
    Important
    Moderately important
    Slightly important
    Not important
    I don't know
    Embed support and services that help people to stop smoking as routine care across the health and human services system.
    Continue to increase awareness of the risk of developing skin cancer and improve early detection.
    Strengthen tracking of ionising radiation exposure by workers and develop personal radiation dose monitoring services.
    Improve Hepatitis B and Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination reporting and recording.
    Improve vaccination services to children who miss Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations in school settings and priority groups.
    Improve the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents by increasing physical activity, decreasing excessive alcohol consumption and decreasing the prevalence of overweight or obesity.
    You have 1000 characters left.

    Action area 2: Screening and early detection

    Priorities:

  • Equitable and increased participation in population cancer screening programs
  • Improve access to family cancer centres for people at high risk of developing heritable cancers
  • Increase early detection of cancers through improved health literacy and enhanced primary care capacity to support early diagnosis.
    • Q2. How important are each of the following suggested actions to address these priorities?
    Very important
    Important
    Moderately important
    Slightly important
    Not important
    I don't know
    Work to improve participation in cancer screening programs.
    Work to improve uptake of self-collect Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing to under-screened and never screened women to further reduce the incidence of cervical cancer.
    Embed Aboriginal self-determination principles across all Aboriginal cancer screening activities to improve Aboriginal cancer outcomes.
    Support Familial Cancer Centres services and workforce to address demand and capacity issues for genetic counselling and advice.
    Work to ensure timely and appropriate access to services and care across the cancer screening pathway – from initial screening, to follow-up diagnostic testing and transition to treatment if required.
    Improve early detection of cancers by training general practitioners and health professionals in screening and early detection and by strengthening referral pathways.
    You have 1000 characters left.

    Action area 3: Treatment

    Priorities:

  • Consistency in the quality of treatment
  • Improve patients’ experience of treatment and care
  • Optimise infrastructure, analytics and service system design
    • Q3. How important are each of the following suggested actions to address these priorities?
    Very Important
    Important
    Moderately important
    Slightly important
    Not important
    I don't know
    Implement the Optimal Care Pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer to improve outcomes and experiences
    Monitor and assess patients’ experiences of care and outcomes in a culturally safe manner to better understand treatment impacts and identify areas for improvement
    Build on the implementation of and monitor performance against the Optimal Care Pathways to improve patient outcomes by reducing variation in care across the whole pathway
    Continue to embed safe and high-quality chemotherapy and immunotherapy services across Victoria.
    Support the Regional Cancer Centres in delivering appropriate, accessible, high quality and safe cancer care across the regions
    Continue to ensure that complex treatments with a volume-outcome relationship have good referral pathways and monitored outcomes
    You have 1000 characters left.

    Action area 4: Wellbeing and support

    Priorities:

  • Strengthen supportive care and self-management
  • Support cancer survivors to recover and thrive
  • Maintain quality of life through palliative care and end of life care
    • Q4. How important are each of the following suggested actions to address these priorities?
    Very important
    Important
    Moderately important
    Slightly important
    Not important
    I don't know
    Ensure access to supportive care in cancer resources for consumers and health professionals to support self-management and to strengthen supportive care approaches
    Embed supportive care screening as a key component of the Optimal Cancer Care Pathways
    Define survivorship standards of care and continue to build capacity and capabilities in the survivorship workforce and across systems
    Implement the Victorian Carer Strategy 2018–2022 for people affected by cancer to recognise and support the important role of carers
    Expand end of life care skills and advance care plan education across the cancer workforce.
    You have 1000 characters left.

    Action area 5: Research

    Priorities:

  • Improve access to clinical trials
  • Support cancer researchers to collaborate
  • Accelerate translation of cancer research into improved prevention efforts and clinical outcomes
    • Q.5 How important are each of the following suggested actions to address these priorities?
    Very important
    Important
    Moderately important
    Slightly important
    Not important
    I don't know
    Develop strategies to ensure equitable access to funding for cancer research in regional Victoria and to support the career progression of female researchers
    Improve patient access to cancer clinical trials in areas for patients with rare and low survival cancers, young adults with cancer and regional Victorians
    Support Aboriginal self-determination and increase career opportunities for Aboriginal Victorians in the cancer research sector
    Develop a state-wide plan for personalised treatment options and genomic testing to support equitable and appropriate access for cancer patients
    Build capacity in cancer prevention, health services research and implementation science
    Promote effective collaboration across research organisations
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    Privacy collection notice

    The Department of Health and Human Services (the department) is committed to protecting your privacy. The department is collecting information through this survey for the purposes of informing the next Victorian cancer plan 2020-2024.

    Please do not include personally identifying information in your responses to the survey. Survey responses may be available through the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

    Any report for the Victorian cancer plan 2020-2024 based on this survey will not identify any individuals or organisations. The department will only use survey responses to develop the Victorian cancer plan, and will not disclose responses to any external parties, unless required by law.

    For more information on how the department handles personal information, please refer to the department’s privacy policy on our website onhttps://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/publications/privacy-p...

    As we only seek anonymous responses, you will not be able to access your survey response once it has been submitted. If you have questions regarding the survey, the department can be contacted on cancerplanning@dhhs.vic.gov.au.