Resource Library

Connection, shared experience and practical learning sit at the heart of CNSA’s Communities of Practice. In April, a record six CoPs came together, creating space for cancer nurses across the country to exchange insights, explore emerging challenges and learn from one another in a supportive, peer-led environment.

Across August and September, CNSA Communities of Practice continued to bring cancer nurses together to share knowledge, experiences and practical ideas from across the country. Seven CoPs met during this period, covering everything from clinical ethics and survivorship to rare cancers, supportive care and emerging treatments.

Don't miss out on our next Rare Cancers CoP meeting with respected bioethicist and public health scientist, Dr Evie Kendall, as she uncovers Challenging Conversations in Unfunded Therapy.

In this month's powerful episode of Nursing Excellence in Cancer Care, our CEO Jemma Still sits down with Medical Oncologist, Dr Liz Connelly and CNC Emma Gardner from Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre to explore what makes sarcoma different and how nurses play a vital role in delivering coordinated, life-changing care.

Rare and less common cancers encompass a broad and diverse group of cancers. Rare cancers are defined as a type of cancer with less than 6 diagnoses per 100,000 people per year. There are hundreds of types of rare cancers, including sarcomas, reproductive cancers, head and neck, and many types of blood cancers. To address these challenges, Cancer Australia has engaged Rare Cancers Australia to lead the development of the first Optimal Care Pathway (OCP) for People with Rare and Less Common Cancers.

We are pleased to congratulate our colleagues at the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) on the launch of a landmark research report—E-Cigarettes and Cancer—which presents a qualitative risk assessment of the evidence linking e-cigarette use to cancer.

Good news for nurse practitioners and patients: PBAC has recommended expanded prescribing in cancer care. Read the President’s update for what this means, highlights from CanForum, and an invitation to join our Rare Cancers Community of Practice on 19 September to keep the advocacy conversation going.

A second pan-tumour PBS listing is set to improve access to treatment for Australians with rare and less common cancers. From 1 September, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is available through the PBS for eligible people with advanced or metastatic cancers, marking another important shift towards treatment decisions based on the biology of a cancer rather than solely where it originated.

This report explores why outcomes and experiences remain worse for people with rare and less common cancers – and what we can do to change that.

Rare Cancer Australia has launched the next learning module in their online Education Hub. The Thoracic Cancers Learning Module covers common cancers like lung cancer, as well as rare cancers like mesothelioma, thymic cancers and mediastinal germ cell tumours.

Rare Cancers Australia is conducting a survey to capture the lived experiences of people diagnosed with cancer in Australia, as well as their carers, with a particular focus on rare and less common cancers.

On Friday 27 June, CNSA and Rare Cancers Australia (RCA) launched a new Community of Practice (CoP) focused on rare cancers. The session brought together a small group of cancer nurses from across Australia to connect, share insights, and start shaping the direction of this new group.