Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia is a broad-based community organisation and the peak national body for prostate cancer in Australia. It is dedicated to reducing the impact of prostate cancer on Australian men, their partners and families, recognising the diversity of the Australian community. Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia receives Government funding for specific projects and relies on the generosity of individuals, the community and partnerships, such as those with The Movember Foundation and Commonwealth Bank to carry out its work.
Video Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
History
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia was formed in Sydney in 1996. The television personality, Roger Climpson, a member of the Rotary Club of Lane Cove, was treated successfully for prostate cancer in 1994. Roger was concerned by the confusing information available to him at the time of diagnosis and treatment and by the apparent lack of research into the disease being carried out in Australia. In 1995 he persuaded fellow club members to join him in forming the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation to raise funds for research.
In the succeeding four years a number of eminent urologists, cancer research scientists, business leaders and representatives of Rotary joined the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation Board of Directors. They were successful in raising funds, some of which were distributed in the form of travelling scholarships for scientists working in prostate cancer research. In 1999 Prostate Cancer Research Foundation affiliated with the Cancer Society of Australia and then merged with the Australian Prostate Cancer Foundation based at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.
Australian Prostate Cancer Foundation had a long connection with support groups, having founded the St Vincent's Prostate Cancer Support Group in 1996. In 1998 St Vincent's and other support groups located throughout Australia formed the Association of Prostate Cancer Support Groups to act as their national representative with Australian Prostate Cancer Foundation providing the corporate structure.
Following the merger of Prostate Cancer Research Foundation and Australian Prostate Cancer Foundation in 1999, the name Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia was chosen to reflect the new organisation's widened agenda. In 1999 the Association of Prostate Cancer Support Groups merged with Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, forming the Support and Advocacy Committee.
Maps Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
Work
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia works across three broad areas
- Promoting and funding world leading, innovative research into prostate cancer
- Implementing awareness campaigns and education programs for the Australian Community, health professionals and Government
- Supporting men and their families affected by prostate cancer through evidence-based information and resources, support groups and Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses.
Research
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia's research strategy provides a clear, long term, approach to funding. Its central mission is to fund discoveries which will improve the length and quality of life of men with prostate cancer, especially prostate cancer which cannot be cured by surgery or radiation therapy. Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia's funding priorities are projects which will
- Provide quick improvements to patients' quality of life
- Develop non-invasive tests to detect prostate cancer and determine whether a cancer is curable
- Discover new biomarkers to predict the future course of prostate cancer and its likely response to treatment
- Discover new molecular targets for chemotherapy of metastatic prostate cancer.
A major goal of the program has been the provision of a logical, consistent and transparent framework and schedule for submission, review and selection of applications for research funding. Through rigorous peer review the program has been able to support the very best Australian research in prostate cancer.
Completed research grants have contributed to new knowledge in the prostate cancer field globally through publication of more than 170 peer reviewed articles, most published in journals with impact factor 5 and above. These new research findings have been presented at more than 200 national and international forums. Four patents have been lodged in the last three years by grantees. Investigational products supported by two of these patents have entered clinical trials.
Awareness
Prostate cancer remains a significant killer of men in Australia yet understanding about the disease is lacking in many sectors of the broader population. A primary focus of Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia's awareness activities is to inform the entire community about this important health issue.
Ambassador Program
The Ambassador Program is a community education program aiming to raise awareness of prostate cancer and provide resources from which participants can further their knowledge. One hundred and five ambassadors are currently trained to deliver presentations to the public about prevention and early detection, treatment options and challenges.
Evidence-based Resources
Research conducted by Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia in partnership with La Trobe University identified a need to target prostate cancer information toward different audience groups. As part of the Supporting men with prostate cancer through evidence-based resources and support project, a Cancer Australia initiative funded by the Australian Government, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia has produced a series of information booklets to cater to men with localised prostate cancer, men with advanced prostate cancer, partners and carers, gay and bisexual men, and younger men. Each series contains four booklets covering diagnosis, treatment, side effects and wellbeing. Each booklet can be read as a standalone resource or as part of the set. The resources are available through Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia's support group network, hospitals, from Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses, cancer centres and GPs. The project also includes translating key resources into five languages - Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Italian and Vietnamese and a flip chart for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.
National Clinical Guidelines
There remains significant confusion within the community around prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing, largely due to a lack of consensus and policy both within Australia and internationally. Following consultation with key stakeholders Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia concluded it would be possible to bring together a broad group of experts to develop national clinical guidelines on PSA testing and early management of test-detected prostate cancer - the first time such as collaboration has occurred in the world.
Cancer Council Australia is partnering with Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia to lead development of the evidence-based guidelines using their guidelines development team and Wiki-based approach. Once developed, the guidelines will be submitted to the National Health and Medical Research Council for approval.
The clinical guidelines are being developed with input from an Expert Advisory Panel consisting of the relevant medical colleges, all specialities involved in the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer, and consumer representatives.
Support
A central part of Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia's activities is to support men and their families affected by prostate cancer through the development and delivery of evidence-based information and through its network of support groups and Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses.
Support Groups
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia's network of support groups has grown rapidly in recent years and now comprises over 150 groups across Australia, sharing information, providing encouragement and raising awareness amongst men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their families. Support groups provide reassurance to men with prostate cancer from others who have personal experience of the challenges they are facing. Men who attend support groups are able to talk through the pros and cons of treatment options with other men, compare their physical and mental wellbeing and outcomes, and benchmark their own progress along the cancer journey.
As part of the Supporting men with prostate cancer through evidence-based resources and support project, a Cancer Australia initiative funded by the Australian Government, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia is working to increase the number of support groups nationally to 200 by June 2014.
Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service
The Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service was officially launched in May 2012 with initial funding from The Movember Foundation. In July 2013, then Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek provided additional Federal funding of $7 million through the Department of Health to further expand the program, enabling Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia to place an additional 13 nurses around Australia and bring the total number to 25.
Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide a point of contact for men and offer continuity of care from diagnosis onwards. They see patients at any point during their cancer journey and help patients and their families to navigate the complex system of health services, make decisions about treatment options, and manage side effects of treatment. Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses are primarily hospital-based positions, with most referrals coming through the hospital system, but some offer community-based intervention if this is required in their area. Up to 50% of the new Federally funded nursing positions will be in community settings. The nurses' roles continue to evolve as nurses have responded to local need within a structured framework.
Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses are relatively new to Australia and there is no commonly accepted accreditation. In order to ensure the standard and consistency of clinical practice, in March 2013 Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia released its Practice Framework and Competency Standards for the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse. The guidelines provide structure and clarity to the profession, competency standards for nurses to work towards, and a robust framework to guide the practice of prostate cancer specialist nursing.
ProsCare
The importance of psychological care as an integral part of oncology care has been well described but not yet broadly implemented in prostate cancer care. In partnership with Griffith University, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia developed ProsCare to guide health professionals in delivering psychological care for men affected by prostate cancer.
ProsCare summarises research about
- Men's psychological responses to prostate cancer
- The importance of screening for distress
- The influence of life course and masculinities on men's experience of prostate cancer and their help seeking behaviours
- Evidence to date about interventions to improve mental well-being in men with prostate cancer.
ProsCare is a novel stepped or tiered model of psychological care for men with prostate cancer that includes four care levels: universal care; low intensity care; specialised care and acute care. In this model care should be multi-disciplinary; include both the acute or hospital setting and the community sector; and have equity and access as key considerations. It is envisaged that health care professionals apply ProsCare as a practical guide to developing a care plan for men with prostate cancer in their setting that utilises local services and links to other services in the acute and community sector.
Movember
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue are the Australian men's health partners of The Movember Foundation. Since 2005 Movember has been a key funder of Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia's research program and has also provided initial funding for the first part of the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service.
References
External links
- pcfa.org.au
- bigaussiebarbie.com.au
- tomorrowcounts.com.au
- au.movember.com
- beyondblue.org.au
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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