A new Education Hub aimed at supporting healthcare professionals in the care of rare and less common cancera disease where abnormal cells split without control and spread to other nearby body tissue and/or organs patients has been launched by Rare Cancers Australia (RCA), with the first module focusing on gynaecological cancers.
Developed in collaboration with members of RCA’s patient community, as well as organisational leaders and clinicians from ANZGOG and the AGCF, the inaugural module is part of a growing series of tumour-specific learning resources. It features lived experiences throughout, offering healthcare professionals valuable insights to better deliver compassionate, patient-centred care.
RCA CEO, Christine Cockburn, said that while many healthcare professionals recognise rare cancers as different and distinct, a significant knowledge gap remains.
“When someone is diagnosed with a rare cancer, they can discover that their healthcare team has never treated the cancer before – sometimes not even heard of it,” Ms Cockburn said.
“This makes an already confronting diagnosisthe process of identifying a disease based on signs and symptoms, patient history and medical test results even more isolating.
“At RCA, we believe in holistic, patient-focused support. That means we must also support healthcare professionals to better understand rare cancers and ease the educational burden that too often falls on the patient,” she said.
The launch coincides with Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, underscoring the need for improved education and awareness around these often-overlooked cancers.
“We’re proud to launch our first module on gynaecological cancers, which are considered rare, highlighting the range of diagnoses, treatment options, technologies, and the disparities that women with these rare cancers face,” Ms Cockburn added.
The gynaecological cancer module includes a four-part video series following the story of Jane, a 49-year-old mother of two diagnosed with vulvar cancer. Her story powerfully illustrates the stigma and diagnostic delays often experienced by women with rare gynaecological cancers.
“I guess there were delays because nobody would listen to my story or do a physical examinationan examination of your current symptoms, affected area(s) and overall medical history,” Jane explains in the video.
“It spread to my lymph nodessmall bean-shaped structures that filters harmful substances from lymph fluid, and I had to have all this treatment. I want doctors to be better educated, listen to their patients and to not dismiss symptoms as just perimenopause. It might be something more, like it was for me.”
Each module includes:
- Quizzes to assess knowledge
- Downloadable resources for healthcare professionals and patients
And information on:
- Diagnosis, treatment, and care for gynaecological cancers
- Emerging technologies and research
- Challenges and disparities in care
- The importance of multidisciplinary and patient-centred care
The Education Hub is part of the Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program, funded through the Government’s Australian Cancer Plan.
Future modules will focus on other rare tumoura tissue mass that forms from groups of unhealthy cells types, including thoracic cancers, male reproductive cancers, sarcomacancer arising from bones and/or soft tissue, and lower digestive cancers.
To access the module, visit the RCA Education Hub here.