23 June, 2011
A new interactive online educational activity on cancer screening has been released to assist GPs.
Developed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC)* and Cancer Council Australia, Cancer Screening is an evidence‐based, educational module which examines the criteria used to decide which cancers are suitable for a population screening program, including the overall potential benefits and harms. Cancer screening covers general screening principles and how they apply to population‐based screening for cervical, breast and bowel cancers.
“The GP has a critical role to play in increasing participation in population cancer screening programs, including providing evidence‐based information to patients so they can make an informed choice about participation,” RACGP President Professor Claire Jackson said.
NBOCC* CEO Dr Helen Zorbas said that cancer is the leading contributor to the total burden of disease in Australia with one in two men and one in three women expected to be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 85.
“Population screening programs have been shown to significantly reduce the mortality from cervical, breast and bowel cancers, and in Australia, we have organised population screening programs available for these cancers.
“The Cancer screening educational module is designed to offer accessible, flexible and interactive education to assist GPs in supporting patients to make informed choices about cancer screening,” Dr Zorbas said.
The Category 1 Activity Cancer screening active learning module (ALM) is approved by the RACGP QI&CPD Program for 40 Category 1 points in the 2011–2013 triennium.
This activity has been developed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC)* and Cancer Council Australia (CCA), through a collaborative agreement.
For further information please see the attached general practice and cancer screening factsheet.
Media contacts:
Jessica Warne, RACGP Communications & Media Coordinator, 03 8699 0442
Stephanie Jones, RACGP Communications & Media Assistant, 03 8699 0484
Michelle Lauder, NBOCC Media Officer, 02 9357 9401
About the RACGP
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is Australia’s largest professional general practice organisation and represents urban and rural general practitioners. The RACGP represents over 20,000 members working in or towards a career in general practice and is proud that over 18,000 general practitioners in Australia have chosen to be a member of the College. The RACGP National Rural Faculty has over 6,800 GP members, including 4,400 GPs living and working in regional, rural and remote Australia. There are over 125 million general practice consultations taking place annually in Australia. Visit www.racgp.org.au.
About NBOCC
National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre is funded by the Australian Government and works with consumers, health professionals, cancer organisations, researchers and governments to improve care and cancer control in breast and ovarian cancer. From July 2011, National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC) will amalgamate with Cancer Australia to form a single national agency, Cancer Australia, to provide leadership in cancer control and improve outcomes for Australians affected by cancer.