We are thrilled to be one of 9 Australian organisations partnering on New Normal Same Cancer, a nation-wide campaign urging Australians to return to their doctors.
COVID-19 has given us a “new normal” – from face masks to hand sanitiser, and a profoundly affected healthcare system.
Across the country, we have seen a significant drop in cancer screening, pathology and surgery. Job insecurity and financial concerns, along with fear and anxiety around contracting coronavirus, has resulted in many Australians deferring medical attention for new symptoms or attending routine follow-up appointments.
The pandemic has also meant restrictions to elective surgery along with the suspension of many clinical trials which can lead to long-lasting health and financial consequences.
Cancer cases do not disappear as a result of reduced screening, they just remain undetected. When cancer is diagnosed at a later stage it is more difficult to treat and survival rates decline.
As a collective of patient organisations, we want to encourage people to contact their healthcare professional, get checked or re-book their missed medical appointments, to minimise the time between cancer diagnosis and treatment, from weeks to days.
We want to ensure that COVID19 doesn’t evaporate our years of advocacy work in the cancer space.
For more, visit www.newnormalsamecancer.com.au
