This week the senate committee for research funding into low survival cancers handed down their report and recommendations in the Australian Senate.
The Unicorn Foundation was pleased to contribute to the committee on behald of the NET Cancer patients through our submission and appearance by Simone Leyden at the Melbourne hearing. NET cancer patients were also represented by Therese Townsand (CAG member), Jackie Barreau (CAG member) and Sandra Woods (NET patient). For a look at the submissions please click here. The Unicorn Foundation endorses the 25 recommendations including the below. The full report can be found here https://neuroendocrine.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/report.pdf
Recommendation 1: The committee recommends that the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health and Medical Research Council considers identifying low survival rate cancers as a National Health Priority Area in the upcoming 2018-19 Corporate Plan.
Recommendation 3: The committee recommends that the Australian government improves AustralianClinicalTrials.gov.au so it is more accessible and user-friendly.
Recommendation 4: The committee recommends that state and territory governments consider: allowing low survival rate cancer patients participating in clinical trials to access patient travel subsidy schemes; and agreeing on consistent subsidy rates based on the distance and method of travel, and the average cost of accommodation in the city in which the patient is participating in the trial.
Recommendation 5: The committee recommends that Australian governments improve access to international clinical trials for people with low survival rate cancers, including by: exploring ways to reduce the financial barriers to accessing international trials to the extent possible; and further developing the existing capacity for international collaboration on trials.
Recommendation 9: The committee recommends that the Australian government undertakes communication activities targeted at the public with the objective of reducing the amount of time taken to detect and diagnose low survival rate cancers.
