There is broad agreement on the value of personalised, comprehensive, and multi-disciplinary cancer care that respects each person’s needs and preferences. Research shows that integrative and supportive care can significantly improve outcomes during treatment and help people to live better with and after their cancer.
The challenge
People with rare and less common cancers often face greater unmet supportive care needs than those with more common cancers. The unique challenges of a rare diagnosis – such as isolation, limited treatment options, poorer prognosis, and a lack of tailored information – can make it even harder to access holistic care and support throughout the cancer journey.
Balancing specialised treatment with patient priorities is essential. While centralising care can improve clinical outcomes, it’s equally important to support people to stay closer to home and their support networks for the best chance of managing their treatment.
Addressing the issue
To embed holistic, person-centred care in our health system, we need:
- recognition that cancer can be a long-term condition that people live with for many years
- broader patient access to integrated support services, especially in rural and regional areas
- multidisciplinary care models that focus on the whole-person, not just the cancer
- culturally tailored, accessible care for diverse communities
- strategic use of telehealth to expand access to specialised, integrated care.
- ongoing evaluation of integrative care, including qualitative and economic impact
With respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally safe cancer care should:
- incorporate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives
- partner with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services
- grow the Indigenous cancer workforce
- strengthen cultural competency across cancer services
What RCA is doing about it
Rare Cancers Australia specialist navigators provide personalised support to over 1,000 patients and their families each year. We provide unlimited support from every angle: clinical navigation, emotional, financial, peer and practical. Whatever matters to them, matters to us.
We empower people to navigate and advocate for their own healthcare journey, using interpreters, linking people with culturally sensitive resources and information, and working with partners across the community to provide truly personal support.
RCA is also a partner in the Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program (ACNNP), a key component of the Australian Cancer Plan. This is designed to link patients across Australia, regardless of who they are or where they live, with best available cancer care as close to home as safely possible.
We are also honoured to be leading on the development of the first Optimal Care Pathway for People with Rare and Less Common Cancers, which will be a key driver in embedding high quality supportive care for people with rare cancers.
What we want
For every person diagnosed with a rare or less common cancer to have access to the information, support and services they need, when they need them.