Bogda Koczwara, Director of Australian Research Centre for Cancer Survivorship, shared on LinkedIn:
“Two important reports have just been published in Australia:
The 1st one published by The McKell Institute and commissioned by Cancer Council NSW examines the consequences of fragmented employment supports for people affected by cancer and provides policy reform recommendations to assist cancer survivors in continuing work.
The 2nd published by Redkite highlights the financial burden of childhood cancer in Australia also highlighting the significant impact of cancer on employment.
Both reports emphasise that these issues are not isolated, but rather widespread and long lasting, affecting survivors and their families, with significant individual and societal consequences.
It is time to broaden our view of cancer survivorship and start addressing not just the physical survival of survivors but their economical survival.
These issues require a multilevel approach that includes attention to physical and emotional wellbeing (something that the health sector can address) but also engagement of employers, insurance providers, policy makers to ensure that supports are in place.
Most importantly, and urgently, we must find a way to routinely measure the productivity losses resulting from cancer and its treatment, to estimate the magnitude and distribution of the problem, and to assess the effectiveness of solutions.”
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