Aim

This project will investigate the feasibility and acceptability of innovative, culturally-appropriate resources for Indigenous cancer patients, their carers and health professionals to improve cancer support, communication and education. A key focus of this project is the development of an Indigenous Radiation Therapy Talking Book (IRTB) to help facilitate communication between health professionals, carers and patients. This resource will assist patients’ understanding of external beam radiation therapy, reduce patient anxiety, strengthen treatment compliance and completion and improve the overall patient-experience.

Outcomes

This will be the first health literacy intervention research among Indigenous cancer patients. The IRTB will provide Indigenous patients with a culturally appropriate and informative tool that they can share with their family. We will strive to translate the IRTB into clinical practice thus establishing a new standard of information provision. The cost-consequence analysis will estimate the health system costs of implementing the IRTB nationally.

Investigators

Prof Gail Garvey (The University of Queensland), Prof Joan Cunningham (Menzies School of Health Research), A/Prof Haryana Dhillon (University of Sydney), A/Prof Michael Penniment (Royal Adelaide Hospital), Prof Sabe Sabesan (James Cook University), A/Prof Georgia Halkett (Curtin University), A/Prof Siddhartha Baxi (Genesis Cancer Care), and Mr Jim Frantzis (ICON Cancer Care).

Contact

Ms Lara Stoll

Project Manager, The University of Queensland

l.stoll@uq.edu.au

This is a current project.

Aim

Conducted in conjunction with the 4Cs Project, this project involves adapting an existing surgical and medical oncology Question Prompt List for use by Indigenous cancer patients. The Indigenous Question Prompt List (IQPL) will assist patients and their carers to know what questions to ask in order to get information that they need from their doctors and health care team.

Outcomes

This project will develop a culturally appropriate resource that will improve communication between health professionals and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer patients and their families and increase participation in oncology consultations.

Investigators

Prof Gail Garvey (The University of Queensland), Prof Joan Cunningham (Menzies School of Health Research), A/Prof Haryana Dhillon (University of Sydney), A/Prof Michael Penniment (Royal Adelaide Hospital), Prof Sabe Sabesan (James Cook University), A/Prof Georgia Halkett (Curtin University), A/Prof Siddhartha Baxi (Genesis Cancer Care), and Mr Jim Frantzis (ICON Cancer Care).

Contact

Ms Lara Stoll

Project Manager at The University of Queensland

l.stoll@uq.edu.au

This is a current project

This project proposed to evaluate the implementation of selected tumour Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs) and culturally safe and competent care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

We conducted Targeted consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to inform the development of the National Pancreatic Cancer Roadmap, which has now been released by Cancer Australia.

Read more about the Roadmap here.

This is a completed project.

The project will use population based data linkage to create a dataset of approximately 26,000 individuals who were diagnosed with cancer between 2012 and 2018 in Queensland.

Aim

The project aims to assess aspects of patterns of care, including the following:

• Endocrine therapy use amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with breast cancer

• Differences in overall radiation therapy and surgical treatments between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and other Australians with cancer

• Health service use patterns and costs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men with prostate cancer

• Patterns of care and health service costs for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors in Queensland

• Utilisation of Medicare Chronic Disease Management item numbers for cancer survivors in Queensland

• Prevalence and associated service use and costs associated with adverse cardiovascular events after cancer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Queenslanders.

Outcomes

The findings of this project will be used to inform health policy and delivery to better provide care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer.

Investigators

Prof Gail Garvey, Dr Daniel Lindsay, Abbey Diaz (The University of Queensland), A/Prof Emily Callander (UTS), Prof Joan Cunningham (Menzies School of Health Research). Prof Siddhartha Baxi (GenesisCare) will join the investigator team for the radiation therapy component of the project.

Contact

Dr Shafkat Jahan

Research Fellow at The University of Queensland

shafkat.jahan@uq.edu.au

This is a current project

Aim

Little is known about participation in clinical trials by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer. As a first step in understanding potential systematic barriers to participation, we analysed publicly available information from the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry about cancer treatment trials in Australia in 2014-2018. Key areas of focus were inclusion and exclusion criteria (e.g. relating to comorbidities, smoking and language), the location of trials, and the types of cancer studied.

Outcomes

Results were presented at the World Indigenous Cancer Conference and a manuscript has just been accepted in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

Investigators

Prof Joan Cunningham (Menzies School of Health Research) and Prof Gail Garvey (The University of Queensland).

Contact

Prof Joan Cunningham

Senior Principal Research Fellow at Menzies School of Health Research

joan.cunningham@menzies.edu.au

This is a completed project

Aim

This Desktop Review was commissioned by the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) to inform the work of the ‘Improving Cancer Outcomes for Victorian Aboriginal Communities’ Working Group.

Outcomes

The review identified and critically analysed the existing evidence and knowledge in three priority areas relevant to improving cancer outcomes for Victorian Aboriginal Communities: 1) participation in clinical trials and research; 2) culturally safe and effective cancer treatment; and 3) self-identification and data quality. Gaps in the literature were also identified, and potential next steps highlighted in the report presented to VACCHO.

Investigators

Prof Joan Cunningham (Menzies School of Health Research) and Prof Gail Garvey (The University of Queensland)

Contact

Prof Joan Cunningham

Senior Principal Research Fellow at Menzies School of Health Research

joan.cunningham@menzies.edu.au

This is a completed project

Aim

This project aims to implement a First Nations Cancer Nurse Navigator in metropolitan and regional Queensland cancer centres with the overall objective to cancer outcomes for First Nations people through improved access to and engagement with culturally-responsive cancer services.

Investigators

Prof Gail Garvey (The University of Queensland), Dr Bena Brown, Debra Pauza, Ms Leanne Stone, Dr Doreen Tapsall, Dr Lisa Capelle, Ms Jennifer Faulkner, Mr Kristoffer Johnstone, A/Prof Glen Kennedy, Ms Aniko Cooper (Queensland Health), Prof Ray Chan (Flinders University).

Contact

Ms Lara Stoll

Principal Research Project Officer at The University of Queensland

l.stoll@uq.edu.au

This is a current project

Led by Dr Kalinda Griffiths this project will identify and explore patterns of palliative care and palliative care-related services in NSW for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer.

This project is under development.

This pilot study is designed to investigate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s healthcare pathways from cervical cancer diagnosis to their survival outcome. The data in this area is greatly lacking, may take years to access and we need evidence now to identify specific equity questions.

Approach

A retrospective analysis of linked cervical cancer data that has been extracted from the WA Cancer Registry, Hospital Morbidity Data Collection and Death Registrations. The study cohort is all women diagnosed with cervical cancer in WA from 1982-2015, an estimated 2000 women.

Outcomes

Findings from this pilot will enable the development of future research initiatives (including what datasets or combination of datasets are useful to answer these questions).

Contact

A/Prof Lisa Whop

Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University

Lisa.Whop@anu.edu.au

This is a TACTICS-funded pilot study due for completion in 2024.