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Why fundraise for Cancer Council Victoria?

You are helping to make a difference in the fight against cancer. Here's a few ways that your fundraising helps:

Supporting all Victorians

No one has to face cancer alone. Our Cancer Council information and support line 13 11 20 is open Monday to Friday, to connect people with the answers they need.

Each year, over 20,000 people call the Cancer Council 13 11 20 and talk with experienced cancer nurses who offer support and information about all types and stages of cancer.

Need to talk to someone who's been through a similar experience? We can connect you to others via the phone, internet or face-to-face, no matter where in Victoria you live, or what language you speak.

Researching all cancers

We fund world-class research projects in Victoria that have the best chance of advancing our cancer knowledge.

We are the largest provider of non-government research funds in the state. Every year, we spend over $22 million on cancer research, enough to fund:

  • Around 100 researchers in Victorian universities, hospitals and medical institutes
  • Over 60 Cancer Council Victoria researchers working to find new treatments through clinical trials, studying the causes and spread of cancer through behavioural studies and epidemiology programs, and finding ways to reduce the impact of smoking through our tobacco programs.

Current projects include:

The Forgotten Cancers Project
  • A ground breaking new study and the first project of its kind in the world.
  • Researchers at our Cancer Epidemiology Centre plan to study the DNA of Australians affected by a less common cancer, such as liver, pancreatic and brain cancer.
  • The aim is to understand what causes these cancers so we can find ways to prevent them and improve a person's chances of surviving.
  • Want to take part in this ground breaking study? Visit forgottencancers.com.au.
Australian Breakthrough Cancer (ABC) Study
  • You could hold the key to unlocking cancer!
  • Cancer Council has launched its ABC Study, an exciting new research project looking into new risk factors for cancer and other diseases.
  • This study aims to recruit one of the largest Australian research groups ever to help scientists uncover new risk factors for cancer and other diseases.
  • Our researchers are looking for men and women (aged between 40-74 years) who have never had cancer, other than non-melanoma skin cancer. Researchers are particularly interested in hearing from people who have not had cancer but do have a family history of the disease.
  • For more information visit abcstudy.com.au.

Fighting back

We provide prevention and education programs like SunSmart and Quit to help people reduce their cancer risk. A third of all cancers can be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle.

How do we know this? Through Health2020 - the only study of its kind in Australia. Since 1990, our researchers have followed over 41,000 Victorians study the role of diet and lifestyle in causing cancer.

They found seven ways to reduce your cancer risk:

  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Have regular screenings
  • Limit alcohol
  • Eat a healthy diet
  • Be physically active
  • Be SunSmart
  • Quit smoking

Using our voice

We advocate for local, state and national strategies to fight cancer by advising and lobbying the government about how to improve policy. For example:

Bowel cancer screening
  • Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer, and second most deadly. Yet if caught early, 90 percent of cases can be cured. We campaigned by collecting signatures, stories and by sending letters to local MPs to expand Federal funding - and we were successful!
Quit
  • Remember a time when people once smoked on trains, planes and trams, in bars and even hospitals? Thanks to the work of Quit, you now live in a smoke-free world.
  • Australia is the first country to introduce plain packaging of cigarettes - a move that will reduce the appeal of smoking to young people.
  • The number of people who smoke in Victoria is the lowest it has ever been, down over 25 percent since 1998.
SunSmart
  • Over 100,000 skin cancers have been prevented since the Slip, Slop, Slap message began 30 years ago.
  • Leading the way in solarium legislation with solariums banned from January 1, 2015. Melanoma rates are now falling in those aged 40 years and younger.

Expect advice

We bring together over 600 clinicians from across the state to form the Victorian Clinical Network.

These clinicians volunteer their time to provide us with expert advice on everything to do with cancer control, from specific tumours to palliative care, medical brochures to national policy.

Community driven

Cancer Council Victoria has led the fight against cancer for 78 years.

We fund world-class research into the causes and treatment of cancer, educate people on how to reduce their cancer risk through programs like SunSmart and Quit, and offer support for cancer patients, their family and friends.

With over 200 types of cancer, we are the only organisation in Victoria that works to find answers to all of them through research, prevention and advocacy campaigns and support.

One in three Victorians will hear the words "you have cancer" by age 75.

The good news? Cancer survival is the highest it has ever been in Victoria - 66 percent of people will survive five years from a diagnosis, up from 47 percent 20 years ago.

Dollar breakdown

For every dollar donated to us, 86 cents is spent directly on cancer research, prevention programs and support services.

The remaining 14 cents supports administrative expenses including fundraising.

Money raised in Victoria, stays in Victoria. This means that no matter where you live, your fundraising will benefit people in your local community. Every dollar you raise helps.

We couldn't do this without you!

Thank you for your support of Cancer Council Victoria - you are helping to make our research, prevention and support programs possible.