Resource Library

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.

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 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.