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The article discusses Australia's first national cancer control plan, which aims to improve cancer outcomes and experiences for all Australians. The plan was developed through extensive stakeholder engagement, with input from over 400 groups and 300 individuals. The plan focuses on achieving equity in cancer outcomes, particularly for priority population groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It identifies six strategic objectives and includes actions to address issues such as health literacy and emergency preparedness. The plan will be reviewed periodically to ensure progress towards its goals, and successful implementation will require collaboration and partnership across the cancer control sector. [Extracted from the article]

The study aims to investigate the long-term risk of mortality among men and women who have undergone low-trauma osteoporotic fractures and the relation of the risk to subsequent fractures. The results indicate that such fractures are associated with a mortality risk for 5 to 10 years in older men and women, and subsequent fractures with an increased risk of 5 more years.

Objectives: To document the current clinical practice in 2017 for assessment of supportive care needs and provision of supportive care to women with gynecological cancer and their caregivers in Australia, and to identify the main enablers and barriers to care provision.Methods: A total of 64 health professionals who care for Australian women with gynecological cancer responded to an electronic survey which explored their use of needs assessment, service-level processes and protocols for support service provision, and identified enablers and barriers to provision of care to both patients and caregivers. Eight respondents underwent an additional in-depth interview to elaborate on enablers, barriers, and gaps in the provision of supportive care.Results: Mostly, needs assessment for women and caregivers was part of current practice but done without validated tools or a checklist. Only 30% of respondents reported having documented referral pathways. Most respondents simply recorded a plan for meeting needs within the patients' medical record (63% for patients; 46% for caregivers) rather than using a formalized care plan (15% for patients; 6% for caregivers). The interviewees' comments supported survey results that having sufficient time to discuss issues was both the most important enabling factor and the greatest barrier to successful supportive care provision. The interviewees further discussed variations in needs based on age, cultural background, and phases within the cancer care continuum, and that best practice supportive care should involve a multidisciplinary team and customizable protocols.Significance Of Results: There is much room for improvement in the assessment of needs and provision of supportive care to women with gynecological cancer and their caregivers. Approaches to optimize use of consultation time (e.g., needs assessment tools and referral protocols) are necessary. Flexibility in the form and mode of delivery of support may be required to meet diverse personal preferences and incorporate caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research study which examined the long-term mortality risk in women and men following osteoporotic fracture. The association of subsequent fracture with the risk of long-term mortality was also assessed. A prospective cohort of patients from the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study who had a fracture between April 1989 and May 2007 was included in the study. The main outcome measures were age and sex specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) compared with the overall Dubbo, Australia population for vertebral, hip, major, and minor fractures. Researchers concluded that all low-trauma fractures were associated with increased mortality risk for 5 to 10 years. Increased mortality risk was associated with subsequent fracture for an additional 5 years.

The article informs that the lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in Australia. Topics include general practitioner (GPs) are vital to the early diagnosis of lung cancer, as many symptomatic patients first present to primary care settings; and for symptomatic people, the vagueness of symptoms can lead to delays in diagnosis.

Genomic testing can inform the diagnosis and personalise management of cancers in children, adolescents, and young adults (CAYA). This scoping review explored the clinical utility and impact of genomic testing in general CAYA cancer cohorts. Relevant records published in English between 2017-2024 were identified by searching PubMed. 36 studies (32 original articles; 4 reviews) were identified on genomic testing in CAYA cancers, most of which were advanced cancers. Studies internationally reported that approximately 16-18% of CAYAs with cancer carry an associated pathogenic germline variant where 40% are de-novo, and can guide treatment (eg, DNA repair gene variants). Somatic variants, predominantly copy number or structural rearrangements, inform diagnosis in up to 95% of primary cancers. Between 18-69% of patients have a somatic variant with a matched therapy, but only one third receive the genomic-guided recommendation, predominantly due to declining patient condition. Few studies evaluated the impact of matched therapies on response and survival. Combining comprehensive DNA and RNA sequencing maximises sensitivity. Circulating tumour DNA was detected in most primary cancers and shows high concordance with tumour tissue. In conclusion, genomic testing of CAYA cancers is feasible, informs diagnoses and guides personalised care. Further research is needed on response to genomic-guided treatments., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)