Female cancer survivors across Australia have received a $1.165 million helping hand to maximise their health prospects.
The Women's Wellness after Cancer Program (WWACP), led by QUT, was one of 11 projects to share $7.9 million in funding from the National Health and Medical Research Institute's (NHMRC) Partnerships for Better Health - Partnerships Projects.
One of only two Queensland-led projects awarded funding, the WWACP will use internet and Smartphone technology to help women maximise their health after cancer treatment.
Professor Debra Anderson, Associate Professor Alexandra McCarthy and Professor Patsy Yates from QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation are the lead investigators for the WWACP.
The team will work with a range of partner organisations to trial an online health promotion program that arms cancer survivors with evidence-based information to help keep them 'as well as possible'.
"Medical advances mean that cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence for Australian women," Professor Anderson said.
"However, research indicates cancer survivors are at particular risk of treatment-related illnesses, such as cancer recurrence, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and diabetes, after their treatment is finished.
"These treatment-related health problems could be offset and even prevented through weight reduction via good diet and regular exercise, plus abstinence from tobacco and alcohol."
Professor Anderson said the WWCAP was important because Australian cancer survivors were not currently offered comprehensive post-treatment support or structured health promotion programs.
The situation is compounded by the fact that many metropolitan and rural women are unable to access face-to-face programs due to cost, time, geographical and other constraints.
Professor McCarthy said the NHMRC funding would be used to evaluate the online program, measuring how well it worked, what factors were important to its success and whether the implementation was good value for money.
"We are working with the nation's leading cancer researchers, health service providers and consumer advocates including people from Queensland's Princess Alexandria Hospital as the lead site together with staff from the Wesley Hospital Brisbane, Peter Macallum Cancer Centre Melbourne, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney, and St John of God Hospital in Perth," she said.
"This project, will enable women previously treated for cancer and those undergoing cancer treatment, in both rural and metropolitan areas throughout Australia, to optimise their health outcomes.
"This funding also represents a tremendous recognition of the quality of cancer nursing care at these institutions."
Janine Porter-Steele, Clinical Nurse Manager at partner organisation The Wesley Hospital Kim Walters Choices Program, said the three-year clinical trial would target women in Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and New South Wales.
"We are very excited about this project, which will enable women previously treated for cancer and those undergoing cancer treatment to maximise their long-term wellbeing," Ms Porter-Steele said.
"Provided we can establish the effectiveness of the WWACP, we believe the program could be adapted for other at-risk groups of cancer survivors including men."
Jointly funded through the NHMRC and partners, Partnerships for Better Health - Partnerships Projects grants encourage alliances between partners who deliver health care services, partners who make decisions about health practice, and researchers who can offer tailored, evidence-based solutions.
Media contact: Kate Haggman, QUT Media, 3138 0358 or kate.haggman@qut.edu.au
