Department of Health

Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program

Key messages

  • Survivorship provides a focus on the health and wellbeing of people living with and beyond cancer. It aims to reduce and manage the effects of treatment and to sustain recovery.
  • A quality survivorship framework which defines and measures optimal survivorship care was developed in 2020-21.
  • The Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program (VCSP) has been trialling collaborative models of care since 2011 as part of the ongoing cancer reform agenda.

Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program

Victorians are living with or beyond their cancer diagnosis thanks to advances in early detection, better treatments and healthier ageing.

They can go on to lead normal lives, whilst for some, cancer has a lasting impact. This can include ongoing side effects of treatment, fear of cancer relapse and other physical, emotional, financial and social concerns.

Survivorship provides a focus on the health and wellbeing of people living with and beyond cancer. It aims to reduce and manage the effects of treatment and to sustain recovery.

Embedding proven models of cancer survivorship care across Victoria

Building on the success of the Victorian Cancer Survivorship phase II program, the following projects were completed in 2022 to implement and sustain at scale proven models of survivorship care:

  • The embed and spread optimal cancer survivorship care across Victoria project which includes expansion of the My care plan initiative. Visit My Care PlanExternal Link
  • Fear-Less: a stepped-care approach to treat fear of cancer recurrence in cancer survivors
    • Dr Maria Ftanou, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
  • Can-Sleep: A stepped-care approach to the management of sleep disturbances adolescent and young adult survivors
    • Dr Maria Ftanou, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
  • Translation of the Can-Sleep and Fear-Less self-management booklets for chinese, vietnamese and arabic speaking survivors
    • Dr Maria Ftanou, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
  • Good Life: Supporting effective self-management in cancer within a community health setting
    • Ms Carina Martin, Health Ability (formerly Carrington Health).

Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program Phase II Grants Scheme

Between 2016 and 2019, we funded Phase II of the Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program Grants Scheme.

Our intention was to provide time-limited, non-recurrent grants for the development, implementation and evaluation of survivorship models.

24 projects were funded across the state with a focus on 6 objectives:

  • Implement models of post treatment care shared across acute and primary care.
  • Create effective partnerships and capacity building.
  • Improve experiences in the post-treatment phase.
  • Contribute to the survivorship evidence base.
  • Understand the needs of specific groups.
  • Evaluate all models with reference to the Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program evaluation and outcomes framework final report 2016.

Details of all previously funded projects are below. Related documents can be found under Downloads.

Evaluation of Phase II Survivorship Program

A comprehensive evaluation report and accompanying source document was developed in 2019 for the survivorship program.

Find out more by visiting the Victorian Cancer Survivorship ProgramExternal Link on the Peter Mac website.

Clinical Placement in Cancer Survivorship Program

The Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre - is funded to implement the 4th iteration of the Clinical Placement in Cancer Survivorship ProgramExternal Link across a 2-year period from 2022-2024.

Up to 12 acute cancer services across metropolitan and regional Victoria will host a total of 200 participants. This program is targeting allied health professionals and practice nurses across regional areas and rehabilitation centres.

More information can be found by visiting Survivorship educationExternal Link on the Peter Mac website.

Reviewed 21 February 2023

Health.vic

Contact us

Cancer Support, Treatment and Research Department of Health

Was this page helpful?