Our mission: Prevent cancer. Empower patients. Save lives.
Between 2017-2021 we helped saved over 6,000 lives in Victoria through the prevention, screening and treatment of cancer.
Over the past four years we were able to:
Goal 1: Implement powerful cancer prevention programs for major cancer risk factors: tobacco, UV, diet, obesity and alcohol.
- Successfully defended tobacco plain packaging with a series of judgements both here and world-wide in favour of plain packaging legislation.
- Our Quit program has led the reduction in the adult daily smoking rate which is now below 13% - we still have work to do in reducing smoking in the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander community.
- Developed, implemented and evaluated world-leading behavioural change campaigns for our prevention messaging including bowel, tobacco, UV and obesity.
- Awareness of obesity as a risk factor is increasing and we are on track to meet our target of 83% of people knowing that it is a factor in cancer.
- Increased the number of Victorians (aged 14-69) using SPF15+ sunscreen from 37% to 44%, exceeding our target of 41%. The rates of melanoma in the generations who have grown up with SunSmart have decreased.
- Implemented economic evaluation in our campaigns, finding that those such as SunSmart and bowel screening campaigns not only save lives, but also significantly reduce health costs to Government.
Goal 2: Mobilise community participation in cancer screening and immunisation programs.
- Developed and implemented successful bowel cancer screening campaigns – this resulted in the Federal Government then funding a nation-wide campaign. These campaigns have prevented hundreds of cancers and saved hundreds of lives thanks to early detection.
- Our campaigns have contributed to bowel screening participation increasing in Victoria from 41.9% to 45.2%. Our goal is to have 50% participation.
- Our campaigns in 2017 & 2018 led to more than 20,000 extra bowel screening kits being returned and hundreds of lives saved.
- Worked together with priority population communities to develop culturally appropriate resources and messaging to increase participation in screening.
- Worked with our partners to establish the foundations for a new ambitious plan: to eliminate cervical cancer in Victoria by 2030.
Goal 3: Empower patients by delivering dynamic, credible information and compassionate support.
- Our cancer nurses have responded to 40,000 calls and emails via our 13 11 20 information and support service.
- We have made submissions to Government and advocated on behalf of patients and carers on issues including palliative care, assisted dying and legalised marijuana.
- Consulted widely with patients, carers and clinicians to inform our submission to the Victorian Government’s Cancer Plan to save lives and reduce the impact of cancer.
Goal 4: Maximise the impact of cancer research and cancer data.
- Funded over 40 research projects each year led by Victoria’s best and brightest researchers taking place in universities, research institutions and hospitals.
- Continued to produce the world’s most timely cancer incidence and mortality data through the Victorian Cancer Registry.
- Committed to increase the capacity of the research sector to find urgently needed treatments for low survival cancers, through funding and advocacy. We have funded 10 projects worth $3 million+.
- Recruited 50,000+ Australians to the Australian Breakthrough Cancer (ABC) study, to give biological samples and share health information over several decades. This world-class resource will enable us to better understand what causes cancer so that we can more effectively prevent it.