Raymond Chan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research at Flinders University, shared a post about an article Him and his collogues co-authored in Western Pacific, on LinkedIn:
“2nd paper of our two-part series in The Lancet Group Regional Health – Western Pacific
Cancer survivorship in the Western Pacific: turning challenges into opportunities
The Western Pacific region is home to over 17 million cancer survivors – yet survivorship care remains uneven, fragmented, and often overlooked. A new review explores how countries from Japan to Malaysia are navigating the complex realities of survivorship, highlighting both the disparities and the shared challenges across the region.
Key insights from the article:
- Survivors face persistent physical, psychological, and financial burdens long after treatment ends.
- Models of care vary widely—from specialist-led systems in Japan to community-driven approaches in the Philippines.
- Despite differences, common goals emerge: holistic care, stronger primary care integration, and equitable access.
- Case studies reveal innovative pathways, from China’s digital health tools to Malaysia’s NGO partnerships.
This article is more than a regional snapshot – it’s a call for collaboration, shared learning, and coordinated action to ensure cancer survivorship becomes a public health priority across diverse healthcare systems.”
Title: Cancer survivorship in the Western Pacific: from differences to shared-goals and from challenges to opportunities.
Authors: Raymond Javan Chan, Reegan Knowles, Carolyn Taylor, Nirmala Bhoo Pathy, Ke Yu, Karolina Lisy, Julia Lai-Kwon, Miyako Tsuchiya, Yan Lou, Wendy Lam, Michael Jefford.
Read the full article.
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre shared a post on LinkedIn:
“New research led by Peter Mac’s Professor Michael Jefford – one of the world’s most highly cited researchers in cancer survivorship – is shining a spotlight on the urgent need to strengthen survivorship care across the Western Pacific.
Published in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, Michael’s work with Professor Raymond Chan from Flinders University outlines major opportunities to support the more than 13 million cancer survivors across Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and parts of Asia.
While survival rates continue to improve, too many people still face long-term physical effects, emotional distress, financial hardship and difficulties navigating fragmented systems of care. Survivorship remains inconsistent, under-resourced and often overlooked in national cancer plans.
The research calls for a holistic, culturally informed, and coordinated approach to survivorship – one that listens to survivor voices, integrates community and traditional supports, and strengthens policy, capacity and collaboration across borders.
Promising models are already emerging across the region, but scaling them will require shared learning and stronger partnerships. This is where Michael’s leadership is truly extraordinary: he is not only advancing survivorship research globally, but actively driving change in our region to ensure people can live well during and after cancer.
Congratulations to Professor Jefford, Professor Chan and all collaborators on this important work – helping chart a path toward more equitable, comprehensive survivorship care for communities across the Western Pacific.”
Carolyn Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of Global Focus on Cancer (GFC), shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Proud to share our new article in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific:
‘Cancer survivorship in the Western Pacific: from differences to shared goals and from challenges to opportunities.’
Building on our companion paper, this review maps the realities of survivorship across 38 countries, highlighting shared challenges like persistent symptoms, financial toxicity, and limited holistic care, and points to opportunities for context-specific, equitable solutions.
Grateful to co-authors; Raymond Chan, Reegan Knowles, Nirmala Bhoo Pathy, Yu Ke, Karolina Lisy, Julia Lai-Kwon, Miyako Tsuchiya, Yan Lou, Wendy Lam and Michael Jefford for this important collaboration.”
Read more posts featuring Raymond Chan on OncoDaily.