Every year, more than 35,500 Victorians are diagnosed with cancer, and 11,000 will die from the disease. Together we can save more lives.
Whilst significant progress has been made to reduce the burden of cancer, by 2025 – 2029 it is estimated that 42,000 Victorians will be diagnosed with the disease each year. Further, there have been an estimated 2,420 undiagnosed cancers in Victoria in 2020 alone due to the pandemic, meaning urgent action and innovation are needed to address potentially later-stage diagnoses and the unmet support needs of people with cancer.
Our priorities for the next Victorian Government lie in the areas of early detection, prevention and support.
Support
Cancer Council Victoria is calling on the next Victorian Government to invest $4 million over 4 years (2023-27) to improve access to cancer navigation and support including:
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Fund a four-year mass public education campaign to build community awareness of supports available through Cancer Council and other community-based support services. This will help people from underserved groups including multicultural communities, Indigenous peoples, elderly people, rural and regional people and people with disabilities access Cancer Council’s services.
Cancer Council Victoria is calling on the next Victorian Government to invest $1 million over 4 years to:
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Fund Cancer Council to deliver a step-care nurse counselling model that delivers up to 50 mental health counselling sessions for Victorians affected by cancer per week.
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Fund four scholarships for health professionals, including nurses with a primary role in supporting people with cancer, to upskill in mental health support to build work force capacity and address unmet needs.
Prevention and early detection
Cancer Council Victoria is calling on the next Victorian Government to invest $7 million over 4 years (2023 – 27) to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, by:
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Investing in mass media public education campaigns to inform women and people with a cervix about the benefits of cervical screening and of the option for self-collection. Investing in tailored communications and community-based approaches to reach unscreened and under screened populations.
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Investing in strategies to ensure that those who missed out on HPV vaccination due to the pandemic can easily ‘catch up’, including expanding the school vaccination program.
Cancer Council Victoria is calling on the next Victorian Government to invest $6 million over 4 years (2023 – 27) to address Victorian’s hidden bowel cancers, including:
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Commit to ongoing investment in mass media campaigns to increase participation in the NBCSP to 60%.
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Invest in tailored communications and community-based approaches to reach unscreened and under screened populations.
Cancer Council Victoria is calling for legislation to be enacted to:
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Remove all unhealthy food and drink advertising from public transport (trains, trams, buses);
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Remove all unhealthy food and drink advertising from public transport assets (stops and stations);
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Remove unhealthy food and drink advertising within 500m of the perimeter of all schools.
Cancer Council Victoria is calling on the next Victorian Government to invest $12 million over 5 years (2023- 27) to renew Victoria’s commitment to skin cancer prevention and early detection post-COVID, including:
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Investment in a new mass-media public education campaign to support Victorians to be SunSmart.
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Strengthening the SunSmart schools and early childhood program to rebuild sun protection post-COVID.
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Supporting secondary schools to implement evidence-based sun protection policies and practices.
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Training GPs in the use of dermoscopy, particularly in regional Victoria, to help find the skin cancers undetected due to COVID.
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Supporting the SunSmart UV safety training program to equip Victoria’s employers and the workforce with the knowledge to prevent skin cancer and detect it early.
Cancer Council Victoria is calling for new protections for our children:
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Introduce a retail licensing scheme for retailers of cigarettes and e-cigarettes to enable effective enforcement of laws banning sales to children (both of tobacco and e-cigarettes) and the sale of illicit tobacco.
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Increase funding for public education campaigns back to evidence-based levels to reduce smoking and vaping initiation and to help Victorians quit.
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Embed best practice smoking cessation in Victorian health services to ensure Victoria’s most disadvantaged groups are provided with effective quitting support.
Cancer Council is experienced and ready to work with communities, non-government organisations and health workers and we welcome the opportunity to work with the next Victorian Government to achieve the goals set out in the Victorian Cancer Plan 2020-2024.
Read more about our 2022 Election Priorities