<< Return to previous page | Senate Community Affairs Committee

Note: This page contains links to PDF files. For more information, see the web page on Accessing files.

View the report as a single document - (PDF 783KB)

View the report as separate downloadable parts:

Membership of Committee	(PDF 127KB)
List of acronyms	(PDF 34KB)
Prologue	(PDF 18KB)
Recommendations	(PDF 36KB)
Chapter 1 - Introduction	(PDF 98KB)
Terms of reference Conduct of the Inquiry Background to Inquiry - Cancer in Australia    What is cancer?    The good news    The increasing burden of cancer in Australia    The need to ensure the best use of cancer resources    Increasing patient focus and empowerment    The Call for Reform of Cancer Care in Australia Conclusion Acknowledgments
Chapter 2 - Role of the Commonwealth and state/territory governments	(PDF 79KB)
The Australian Health Care System    Overview of health system funding    Roles and responsibilities       Commonwealth government       State and Territory and local governments       Private Sector       Non-government sector    Joint government policy forums       Medical workforce       Health Reform Agenda Working Group Coordination of cancer activities    Expenditure on cancer    National Service Improvement Framework for Cancer Strengthening Cancer Care    Cancer Australia State and Territory Cancer Initiatives    New South Wales - The Cancer Institute    Victoria - Department of Human Services       The development and implementation of the Cancer Services Framework       The Fighting Cancer policy       The Ministerial Taskforce for Cancer       Establishment of Cancer Coordination Unit    Western Australia - Department of Health Conclusion
Chapter 3 - Improving cancer care in Australia	(PDF 434KB)
Traditional care model    Referral issues    Accreditation of cancer services and credentialing of practitioners    Fragmentation of care Multidisciplinary Care    Definitional Issues    The situation overseas    The situation in Australia    National Breast Cancer Centre leading the way in multidisciplinary care    The development of multidisciplinary care in Australia    Palliative Care    Conclusion Barriers to implementing multidisciplinary care    A question of patient ownership    Resistance to change    Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS)       Current Medicare provisions    Workforce issues    The cost of Multidisciplinary Care    Rural and Indigenous Australians and multidisciplinary care Care coordination    Breast Care Nurse Model    Who is best placed to coordinate?       The need for information    Conclusion Psychosocial support    Conclusion Cancer care in regional, rural and remote areas    The way forward    Video and Teleconferencing    Travel and accommodation assistance schemes Cancer care for Indigenous Australians    Problems with data quality Conclusion
Chapter 4 - Complementary and alternative therapies	(PDF 185KB)
The great divide: conventional and complementary treatment    Definitional issues       Conclusion    Prevalence and cost of complementary therapies    What motivates people to use complementary therapies    Comparisons with overseas practises    Evidence for complementary therapies    Research into and regulation of Complementary Therapies       Safety and efficacy of complementary therapies Towards Integrative Medicine - Integrating complementary therapies and conventional medicine    Providers of complementary therapies    Moving to integration - from ideas into practice    Information for cancer patients    Regulation of complementary therapy practitioners    Integrative medicine as practiced in Australia       Complementary therapy services in the non-government sector Conclusion
Chapter 5 - Other issues raised in the inquiry	(PDF 172KB)
Early detection through screening programs    Access to free mammograms    Access to free mammograms once diagnosed with breast cancer Access to breast prostheses and lymphoedema sleeves Access to PET scans for people with recurrent or advanced breast cancer Adolescent cancer care Research Clinical Trials Data Palliative care
Chapter 6 - Future directions for cancer care in Australia	(PDF 87KB)
Diagnosis and referral    Referral guidelines    Empowering cancer patients through provision of information    The need for support Improving delivery of services and treatment options    Development of multidisciplinary care    Measures to increase the practice of multidisciplinary care in Australia    Multidisciplinary care needs to be better supported by the health system       Accreditation of cancer services and credentialing of practitioners       A multidisciplinary team must include non medical health providers       National adoption of clinical guidelines       Conclusion    Improving care co-ordination    Improving access to psychosocial care    The need for information during the cancer journey    The needs of regional and Indigenous Australians Complementary therapies    The need for more information on complementary therapies    Towards Integrative Medicine    The need for more investment in research into complementary therapies    Palliative care Conclusion
Appendix 1	(PDF 119KB)
List of public submissions, tabled documents and other additional information authorised for publication by the Committee
Appendix 2	(PDF 44KB)
Witnesses who appeared before the Committee at public hearings
Appendix 3	(PDF 25KB)
Government and non-Government organisations involved in cancer treatment or support

For further information, contact:

Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Phone:	+61 2 6277 3515
Fax:	+61 2 6277 5829
Email:	community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au

Comments to: web.senate@aph.gov.au
Last reviewed 1 July 2005 by the Senate Web Administrator
© Commonwealth of Australia
Parliament of Australia Web Site Privacy Statement
Images courtesy of AUSPIC