News-Alerts

The Cancer Voices SA Community NoticeBoard has been developed as a resource for members and the community to share and find information.
Please see the Community NoticeBoard  at the Cancer Voices SA website for more details on events and activities relevant to cancer that are taking place in the near future.  We encourage you to get involved.

If you have any 'Community NoticeBoard' requests please contact: info@cancervoicessa.org.au

Seminar: Friday 16 Oct, 2-4pm in Hetzel Lecture Theatre, State Library: Prof Brenda Wilson discussing how an NGO and cancer charity can minimise the impact of cancer in SA.  " Advocating for Cancer Control in this State - What does it mean for South Australians?" Please RSVP to Dan Cowles on 82017642 or 0434 445 413 or email COWL0041@FLINDERS.EDU.AU.

Research: Complementary Therapies Focus Groups for a study looking at how and why people with cancer decide whether or not to use Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). If you are interested in participating or would like further information about this study, please contact Dr Lisa Beatty, on 8201 2506 or at lisa.beatty@flinders.edu.au.

Research: Want to help fix "chemo brain"? If you've had chemotherapy for an early stage cancer, and are experiencing problems with your memory or concentration, you may be interested in a new study for which volunteers are being sought. If you are interested in receiving further information on this study, please contact:Trial free call number: 1800 778 167,  Dr Victoria Bray: 02 9767 5132 or Ms Haryana Dhillon: 02 9036 5392

Consultation: SA Health is seeking the public’s feedback on the design of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Visit http://www.newrah.sa.gov.au/project/demonstration-room.htm for a glimpse of what a patient room and ensuite could look like at the new hospital. Email your feedback/comments: newrahfeedback@health.sa.gov.au

Positions: Cancer Australia - vacancies for Consumer Representatives to help improve cancer care. Volunteer positions. Application Form and Background Information is available at http://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/    Applications close midnight on 23rd Oct 2009.

Training: Cancer Advocacy Training, Friday 6-Saturday 7 November 2009. Free, excellent high quality course with registered trainer, conducted in collaboration with the Cancer Council and Cancer Voices South Australia. Email info@cancervoicessa.org.au to register your interest.

Funding Grants: Cancer Australia funding grants:  Building Cancer Support Networks Initiative: Better Cancer Support Through Consumers : interested community organisations are invited to apply for funding grants under this Initiative.  Applications close at MIDNIGHT on 13 NOVEMBER 2009

Conference: Health Consumers Alliance conference: Consumer leadership and community engagement. Wednesday 18 November 2009 at Adelaide Pavilion, 9:15am – 4:30pm.  Contact Suzie Tume, Executive Assistant on (08) 8223 1374 or by email stume@hcasa.asn.au to register your interest.

Next week 24-30th May is Palliative Care Week.  
I am therefore sending you the latest edition of the Palliative Care Bulletin.
You will find it contains some very interesting information and cancer news.
Please visit the Palliative Care Australia website for more information or if you wish to receive this free monthly e-bulletin.

If you (or someone you know) have been affected by bowel cancer as either a patient or a carer then this may be of interest to you.

The University of Adelaide is participating in a national research project looking at the way in which patients, when newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer, are referred from general practice to specialists in cancer care. We believe your views are important for helping us to improve care and therefore we would like to ask you about your experiences and expectations of this process.

If you agree to participate, we will ask you to come to a group meeting with other patients who have also been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. We estimate that it will take the group about an hour to discuss all the issues. At the end of the study, some of you may also be interviewed (if you agree) by phone for about 15 minutes by a researcher.

The study aims to ensure that people working in cancer treatment can better understand the experiences of patients/./ You will receive a summary of the findings from the research, when the study is completed.

Note - you do not need to be recently diagnosed with bowel cancer to participate in this study. Carers of patients with bowel cancer are also invited to participate.

If you are interested and/or would like more information, please contact Dr. Jackie Street : Tel: 08 8303 6498, Email: jackie.street@adelaide.edu.au

28 Apr 2009

A Review of South Australian Cancer Services was conducted following the 2008 radiotherapy under-dosing incident at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and chemotherapy over-dosing incidents at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Lyell McEwin Hospital.
The final Report of the Review together with Recommendations for improvement to cancer services was tabled in parliament this afternoon by the Minister for Health.
A Media Release from SA Health together with links to the Report can be downloaded here:
http://www.health.sa.gov.au/Portals/0/090428-Media-Release-Cancer-in-SA.pdf
Cancer Voice SA welcome the release of the Report and will monitor implementation of the Recommendations to improve Cancer Services for South Australians.
Cancer Voices Executive are keen to hear from you if you have concerns in relation to the Report, the adverse dosing incidents or the Recommendations.

As you know Cancer Voices SA is a voting member of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia.
The following CHF Media Release will be of interest to anyone interested in having a say in improving cancer treatment and care, in particular the statement that:

‘People-centred health care means recognising the lived experience of consumers. It means recognising that consumers have important insights into how the health system can improve based on their experience of health problems and their interaction with the health system.
‘It means giving consumers an equal voice with other health stakeholders when decisions are made about the research and policy that affects their health care and how it’s delivered. This equal voice can only happen when consumers are given a level playing field – that is, their participation is recognised, supported and funded in line with other stakeholders such as doctors, academics and government.

The aims of Cancer Voices SA are in line with these principles – to value, recognise and reward consumer involvement in improving the health system.

You may have read today’s Advertiser (15 April 09) article titled "RAH superbug can't be killed off". The article implies the solution to this current Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) bacteria problem is building a new RAH hospital.

Cancer Voices SA are concerned about safety of cancer patients who are currently undergoing treatment at the RAH, and in the years to come until resolution of the RAH rebuild or building upgrade takes effect.

However, VRE bacteria is present in all hospitals, so it is not only patients at the RAH that Cancer Voices SA are concerned about.

Good 'hand hygiene' is the best way to prevent the spread of VRE and something all cancer patients need to be vigilant about - to wash their own hands, and also to insist that staff wash their hands or use hand gel before touching patients or their intravenous treatment lines.

Cancer Voices SA also wish to see transparent reporting and ongoing monitoring of VRE and other serious multiple-antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria made available for all public and private hospital oncology areas.

For more information on VANCOMYCIN RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCI (VRE) see this SA Health Fact Sheet.

If you have been affected by VRE infection at the RAH we would be interested to hear from you either by phone or return email. Thank you.