Together we’re strengthening survivorship
Prostate cancer is an important public health issue. Every 22 minutes, one of our fathers, sons, and brothers will hear the news he has prostate cancer. By 2040 we predict there will be 372,000 men living with or beyond prostate cancer in Australia, representing over 60 per cent increase from 230,000 today and the greatest number of men or women diagnosed with any single cancer.
It is a disease that imposes considerable hardship on the community, taking a physical and emotional toll on lives and relationships. In 2020, we brought together a multi-disciplinary expert panel to better understand the nature of prostate cancer survivorship in the Australian context. The panel reached a consensus view that the experience remains a challenging one, and must be addressed through integrated quality care.
Prostate cancer survivorship care encompasses the health and wellbeing of men from the point of diagnosis onwards. Quality survivorship care recognises the physical, psychosocial, spiritual and economic impacts of cancer, which can be long-lasting, and addresses these so that the patient and his loved ones can achieve optimal quality of life.
The Prostate Cancer Survivorship Essentials Framework was developed by an expert clinical and community group to provide guidance to health professionals, health care and cancer control organisations, government and consumers about the essential domains for prostate cancer survivorship care. These domains are closely linked and influence long term physical and mental well-being and life satisfaction. The inclusion of personal agency is new in international approaches and reflects the importance of care tailored to each man.
Click here to download an infographic poster of the Framework.
Click here to download the British Journal of Urology International research paper.
Citation:
Dunn J, Green A, Ralph N, Newton R, Kneebone A, Frydenberg M, Chambers SK. Prostate Cancer Survivorship Essentials Framework: Guidelines for Practitioners (2020). British Journal of Urology International, https://doi.org/10.1111/bju.15159.
This work was made possible by the generosity of the Gandel Philanthropy.
