Cancer Council Victoria
Encyclopedia
Cancer Council Victoria is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to reduce the impact of cancer
in Victoria
. It is an independent body that advises various groups, including government, on cancer-related issues.
Cancer Council Victoria also conducts and funds cancer research
, acts as an advocate
for cancer patients and their families, and runs cancer prevention
, education
and support programs.
Formerly known as The Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria, in 2002 the organisation rebranded itself as 'The Cancer Council Victoria.' In 2008, 'The' was dropped from the name, giving the organisation its current name of 'Cancer Council Victoria'.
It's logo is the daffodil, used to symbolise hope
.
Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop
and Sir Peter MacCallum
have been notable Chairs of the Cancer Council Executive Committee.
Cancer Council Victoria has a long history of anti-smoking advocacy, dating back to the early 1960s, even pre-dating the landmark 1964 US General Surgeon's Report
on links between tobacco and cancer.
In 2011 Cancer Council Victoria celebrates its 75th year.
Of particular note:
Centre, and the Tobacco
Control Unit.
Cancer Council Victoria funds clinical research into cancers of the bone, bowel, brain, breast
, liver
, lung
, prostate
, stomach
and any other form of the disease.
In 2010 Cancer Council Victoria research was recognised by the SCImago Research Group
as some of Australia's best. SCImago measured the rate at which an institute's research is the result of international collaboration and the rate at which it is published in high-quality journals - in both measures Cancer Council Victoria was in Australia's top five. In a measure of the rate at which Cancer Council Victoria's research is cited by other research institutes, the organisation was ranked number one in Australia, scoring 2.51 times the international average.
Cancer Council Victoria has offered an information service to Victorians since 1940. Today, Cancer Council Victoria runs the Cancer Information and Support Service, which offers multi-lingual telephone support through the Cancer Council Helpline, online support through cancerconnections.com.au, one-on-one peer support through Cancer Connect, and a variety of other initiatives.
Cancer Council Victoria also facilitates or assists partner organisations in a variety of preventive
programs and campaigns, such as:
and alongside other states and territories
to run a variety of fundraising events, such as:
. Each individual Cancer Council operates in their individual states and territories:
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. It is an independent body that advises various groups, including government, on cancer-related issues.
Cancer Council Victoria also conducts and funds cancer research
Cancer research
Cancer research is basic research into cancer in order to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatments and cure....
, acts as an advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
for cancer patients and their families, and runs cancer prevention
Preventive medicine
Preventive medicine or preventive care refers to measures taken to prevent diseases, rather than curing them or treating their symptoms...
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and support programs.
Formerly known as The Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria, in 2002 the organisation rebranded itself as 'The Cancer Council Victoria.' In 2008, 'The' was dropped from the name, giving the organisation its current name of 'Cancer Council Victoria'.
It's logo is the daffodil, used to symbolise hope
Hope
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or...
.
History
The Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria was established by the Victorian Government in 1936 through the Anti-Cancer Council Act. This act specified that the newly established council should remain independent of the government.Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop
Edward Dunlop
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Ernest Edward "Weary" Dunlop, AC, CMG, OBE was an Australian surgeon who was renowned for his leadership while being held prisoner by the Japanese during World War II.-Early life and family:...
and Sir Peter MacCallum
Peter MacCallum
Sir Peter MacCallum MC was a Scottish-born Australian oncologist and the co-founder and eponym of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne....
have been notable Chairs of the Cancer Council Executive Committee.
Cancer Council Victoria has a long history of anti-smoking advocacy, dating back to the early 1960s, even pre-dating the landmark 1964 US General Surgeon's Report
Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States
Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States was a landmark report published on January 11, 1964 by the Surgeon General's Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health, chaired by then-Surgeon General of the United States Luther Terry regarding the...
on links between tobacco and cancer.
In 2011 Cancer Council Victoria celebrates its 75th year.
Significant contributions to cancer control
Cancer Council Victoria has contributed to cancer control in a number of areas.Of particular note:
- Cancer Council Victoria awarded the Carden Fellowship to Professor Donald MetcalfDonald MetcalfEmeritus Professor Donald Metcalf AC FRS FAA is an Australian medical researcher who spent most of his career at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne...
AC in 1954. Working as the Carden Fellow, Professor Metcalf went on to discover and develop colony-stimulating factors, which have since been used in the treatment of millions of cancer patients around the world. - Cancer Council Victoria pioneered the comprehensive information and support system now used throughout Australia, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. - The iconic Slip-Slop-SlapSlip-Slop-SlapSlip-Slop-Slap and wrap is the iconic and internationally recognised sun protection campaign prominent in Australia during the 1980s. Launched by Cancer Council Victoria in 1980, the Slip! Slop! Slap! campaign features a singing, dancing Sid Seagull encouraging people to reduce sun exposure and...
skin cancerSkin cancerSkin neoplasms are skin growths with differing causes and varying degrees of malignancy. The three most common malignant skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises...
prevention campaign was developed at Cancer Council Victoria, and was launched in 1981. Reports have found the Slip-Slop-Slap campaign is one of the most cost-effective and successful public health initiatives in Australia. - Quit Victoria is a joint initiative of Cancer Council Victoria, VicHealth, the Victorian Department of Health and the National Heart Foundation of AustraliaNational Heart Foundation of AustraliaThe National Heart Foundation of Australia is an independent charity established in 1959. Its vision is for Australians to have the best cardiovascular health in the world and its mission is to reduce suffering and death from heart, stroke and blood vessel disease in Australia.Over the past five...
. Quit encourages smoking cessationSmoking cessationSmoking cessation is the process of discontinuing the practice of inhaling a smoked substance. This article focuses exclusively on cessation of tobacco smoking; however, the methods described may apply to cessation of smoking other substances that can be difficult to stop using due to the...
and campaigns have proven effective in encouraging people to try to quit. - The Victorian Cancer Registry is a part of Cancer Council Victoria, and since 1982 has kept statistical records of cancer in Victoria for use in epidemiologicalEpidemiologyEpidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
research and in policyPolicyA policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
development. The registry provides regular reports for the general public and more comprehensive dataDataThe term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
is available for researchers who require it.
Research
In 2009, Cancer Council Victoria spent $22.4 million on research programs. In 2010, $20.1 million was spent on research. Much of this research is conducted at Cancer Council Victoria itself, through the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer EpidemiologyEpidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
Centre, and the Tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
Control Unit.
Cancer Council Victoria funds clinical research into cancers of the bone, bowel, brain, breast
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, liver
Liver cancer
Liver tumors or hepatic tumors are tumors or growths on or in the liver . Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. These growths can be benign or malignant...
, lung
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
, prostate
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, stomach
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
and any other form of the disease.
In 2010 Cancer Council Victoria research was recognised by the SCImago Research Group
SCImago Journal Rank
SCImago Journal Rank is a measure of scientific influence of scholarly journals that accounts for both the number of citations received by a journal and the importance or prestige of the journals where such citations come from. The SJR indicator is a variant of the eigenvector centrality measure...
as some of Australia's best. SCImago measured the rate at which an institute's research is the result of international collaboration and the rate at which it is published in high-quality journals - in both measures Cancer Council Victoria was in Australia's top five. In a measure of the rate at which Cancer Council Victoria's research is cited by other research institutes, the organisation was ranked number one in Australia, scoring 2.51 times the international average.
Support and Prevention
In 2009, Cancer Council Victoria spent $22.4 million on education, prevention and support initiatives. In 2010 this amount had risen to $27 million.Cancer Council Victoria has offered an information service to Victorians since 1940. Today, Cancer Council Victoria runs the Cancer Information and Support Service, which offers multi-lingual telephone support through the Cancer Council Helpline, online support through cancerconnections.com.au, one-on-one peer support through Cancer Connect, and a variety of other initiatives.
Cancer Council Victoria also facilitates or assists partner organisations in a variety of preventive
Preventive medicine
Preventive medicine or preventive care refers to measures taken to prevent diseases, rather than curing them or treating their symptoms...
programs and campaigns, such as:
- Quit Victoria
- SunSmartSunSmartSunSmart is a not-for-profit, health promotion program in Australia that aims to minimise the human cost of skin cancer and takes a leadership role in promoting a balance between the benefits and harms of ultraviolet radiation exposure and the benefits of vitamin D.Cancer Council Victoria and the...
- PapScreen Victoria
- Get Behind Bowel Screening
- Cut Your Cancer Risk
- The Parents Jury
- The Obesity Policy Coalition
- The Alcohol Policy Coalition
Fundraising
Cancer Council Victoria works within Cancer Council AustraliaCancer Council Australia
Cancer Council Australia is a national, not for profit organisation which aims to promote cancer-control policies and to reduce the illness caused by cancer in Australia...
and alongside other states and territories
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
to run a variety of fundraising events, such as:
Within Cancer Council Australia
Cancer Council Victoria is one of eight Cancer Council's from around Australia which make up Cancer Council AustraliaCancer Council Australia
Cancer Council Australia is a national, not for profit organisation which aims to promote cancer-control policies and to reduce the illness caused by cancer in Australia...
. Each individual Cancer Council operates in their individual states and territories:
- Cancer Council ACT
- Cancer Council New South WalesCancer Council New South WalesCancer Council NSW is an independent community funded, community focused cancer charity dedicated to beating cancer. It focuses on cancer prevention, research into new treatments and cures and providing clinical and emotional support to those affected by cancer...
- Cancer Northern Territory
- Cancer Council Queensland
- Cancer Council South Australia
- Cancer Council Tasmania
- Cancer Council Victoria
- Cancer Council Western Australia