NBOCC News - February 2011

In this issue...

Virtual classrooms for rural health professionals caring for women with breast cancer

National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC) is inviting rural health professionals to register today for upcoming virtual classroom sessions on breast cancer topics including follow-up care and palliative care.

Virtual classrooms are conducted in real-time by breast cancer experts and allow participants to ask questions and get answers through a dynamic, interactive online learning environment. Participants can attend from their home or office computer – with no need to travel. The sessions are accredited for professional development points by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Upcoming virtual classroom dates:

8 March, 7pm AEDT: Following breast cancer treatment: the role of the primary care team, presented by Dr Vivienne Milch

22 March and 5 April, 7pm AED: When cancer has progressed: the role of the general practitioner, presented by Associate Professor Katherine Clark.

To register, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (Ph: 02 9357 9478). Sessions are limited to 15 health professionals – register today!

Supporting Sisters and Aunties to Survive! Summits

atsi-oz-map Following the success of three Supporting Sisters and Aunties to Survive! Summits in 2010, NBOCC will be holding an additional three summits in the coming months. The summits, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with breast cancer and the health professionals who care for them, will be held in:

Perth 9.30am - 3pm on Thursday 17 March, The Guide Dog Conference Centre, 61 Kitchener Ave, Victoria Park.
Melbourne 9.30am - 3pm on Thursday 14 April, Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre, Cnr Bell and St Georges Rd, Preston.
Sydney 9.30am - 3pm on Wednesday 1 June, National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, 180 George Street, Redfern.

The Summits will bring together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with breast cancer, supporters from their communities, and health professionals to learn more about breast cancer and supportive care.

The afternoon will include a workshop for survivors of breast cancer and a train the trainer workshop for Aboriginal Health Workers. To register, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (Ph: 02 9357 9414).

An NBOCC initiative supported by Estee Lauder based on a program funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing

Ovarian Cancer Awareness

On Teal Ribbon Day (23 February), NBOCC and Queensland Institute of Medical Research released preliminary data from a groundbreaking Australian study providing the first national data about the treatment received by women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Australia.

The study reviewed the treatment received by women in Australia with ovarian cancer a year after the release of the evidence-based guidelines, Clinical practice guidelines for the management of women with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Preliminary findings from the analysis of approximately 1,000 Australian women with invasive ovarian cancer found that overall 83% of the women underwent surgery and, among this group:

Over 80% were operated on by a specialist gynaecological oncologist
More than 90% for whom chemotherapy is recommended received this treatment
In over 90% of cases a gynaecological oncologist was consulted at some stage.

The clinical practice guidelines recommend surgery as the cornerstone of management of ovarian cancer, followed by chemotherapy (where appropriate). The guidelines also recommend that the care of women with ovarian cancer should be directed by a gynaecological oncologist to improve survival. The findings of the study to date demonstrate the majority of women were treated in accordance with these recommendations.

While the preliminary findings are very encouraging, further analysis will explore variations in treatment and the reasons for this. This will help to inform interventions, such as training or information for clinicians.

Additionally, as part of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month NBOCC released Information for women about family history of breast cancer and ovarian cancer and the newly updated Advice about familial risk of breast cancer and epithelial ovarian cancer: a guide for health professionals. Click here to download these resources.

World Cancer Day: Cancer can be prevented

On World Cancer Day (4 February) Cancer Australia and NBOCC encouraged Australians to take positive action to prevent cancer. Over 114,000 people will be diagnosed with cancer this year in Australia, and cancer remains the biggest health concern of Australians.

With an estimated one third of cancers worldwide being preventable, the advice from Cancer Australia and NBOCC is to quit smoking, be safe in the sun, enjoy a healthy and varied diet, participate in regular physical activity, maintain a healthy body weight, limit your alcohol intake and get to know your own body.

For further information on how to reduce your cancer risk through simple lifestyle choices, click here.

To find out more about this global campaign, visit the Cancer Free World Facebook page and or the World Cancer Day website.

Breast Care Nurses Conference

NBOCC presented on two key projects exploring new models of care for women diagnosed with breast cancer at the recent Breast Care Nurses Conference (BCNC) held 10-11 February in Melbourne.

Shared follow-up care for early breast cancer – a new model of care, presented by Ornella Care, Program Manager

Best practice models of post-surgical breast cancer care, presented by Heidi Wilcoxon, Program Manager

For more information on NBOCC projects, including those presented at BCNC, click here.

Communication skills training

NBOCC has developed a range of resources, now available on our website, to support health professionals to implement evidence-based communication skills training. Effective communication skills are a core skill for clinicians and a key element of cancer care, which can improve understanding and satisfaction with treatment and assist people in adjusting to a diagnosis of cancer.

The way a clinician and the treatment team relate to, and communicate with, patients can significantly benefit the patient and their family, including improvements in psychosocial adjustment, decision-making, treatment compliance and satisfaction with care.

The resources, applicable across cancer types, cover areas such as:

Why is communication skills training important?
Communication skills training – recommended model
NBOCC communication skills training modules
Communication skills training – how to run a workshop
General interactional skills
Organising a workshop

For more information about communication skills training or to download training materials, please click here.

Amalgamation of NBOCC and Cancer Australia

In June 2010, the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Nicola Roxon MP, announced the establishment of a single national cancer control agency through the amalgamation of NBOCC and Cancer Australia from early 2011-12.

Bringing together the expertise, successes and learnings of both organisations into a single national cancer control agency will benefit all Australians affected by cancer.

A strategic plan will be developed to inform the strategic intent and focus of the new Cancer Australia.

The strategic planning process to be undertaken by Tempo Strategies, will include consultation forums with key stakeholders in the coming months, including a Health Professional Forum, Research and Data Forum, Consumer Forum and Jurisdictional Forum. In addition the opportunity for a wider audience to provide input will be made possible via an online survey.

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Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Cancer Australia