Cancer Council hails landmark study in patient-centred care

Cancer Council Australia has hailed a new $1.16 million cancer research grant announced by the Australian Government today as a landmark event in understanding cancer outcomes from the experience of patients and survivors and guiding improvements in care and support.

The project, to be conducted by a team led by Australian National University researcher Professor Emily Banks, will track the experiences of more than 70,000 cancer survivors to analyse the physical, mental, social and economic impacts of cancer – and how these vary between socioeconomic groups and people with different cancer types. The research will use data from the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up Study.

Professor Banks said that while Australia had extensive data on cancer incidence, mortality and overall survival, there was limited data on the survivor experience, particularly in a patient-centred context.

“Big data have transformed cancer prevention, screening and management,” Professor Banks said. “This funding will support a world first – researchers working with cancer survivors to apply big data to the outcomes that matter most for the many millions of people living with cancer.”

CEO of Cancer Council Australia, Professor Sanchia Aranda, commended the Government for funding the research and the Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, for highlighting the project among a number of new National Health and Medical Research Council grants.

“People often think cancer research is about laboratories and test tubes, and to a large extent it is,” Professor Aranda said. “But we also need to know a lot more about the cancer experience, to inform improved support for survivors. This study is a landmark in researching patient-centred outcomes. We congratulate our long-term collaborator, Professor Banks, and also Minister Hunt for highlighting this type of research and its importance.”