Referral of men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer to a telephone-based support program [ 2004 - 2006 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Patricia Livingston (Principal investigator) ,  A/Pr Elizabeth Maunsell ,  Prof David Hill ,  Prof Stewart Dunn ,  Prof Victoria White

Brief description Cancer diagnosis and treatments are stressors of major proportions. There is compelling evidence that providing information, education and counselling services helps reduce emotional distress and improves quality of life among newly-diagnosed cancer patients. The public health challenge for improving the supportive care of cancer patients is to find a cost-effective way to deliver these services to this population. Our response to this challenge is to test an innovative program that involves the cancer specialist referring newly-diagnosed cancer patients to the Cancer Council Victoria's telephone information service staffed by nurse counsellors, as an integral part of the patient's treatment management. The program involves the nurse counsellor contacting patients and providing information and support at key times in the first six months after diagnosis. In this study, we will focus on prostate and male colorectal patients. The most common registrable cancers in males are prostate and colorectal cancer; male cancer patients are a group known to underutilise support services and among whom less research has been conducted on ways to improve adjustment to a cancer diagnosis and treatment. If effective, this program could provide a way for supportive care to be included among cancer patients, even those treated in rural centres, or where a multidisciplinary team is not yet available.

Funding Amount $AUD 299,125.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant