2021 has been a busy year for Head and Neck Cancer Australia (HANCA) as we strengthen our advocacy activities and awareness raising, while continuing to provide evidence based information and meaningful support to help people navigate their cancer journey and have the best quality of life possible before, during and after treatment.
We are extremely grateful to everyone who has made this possible in supporting HANCA and championing our cause. Thank you.
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is incredibly complex and diverse. It includes more than 10 different cancers that can affect a person’s mouth, tongue, salivary glands, skin or throat. Over 5,100 people are newly diagnosed each year in Australia - that’s 14 people every day - and more than 17,000 people are living with the side effects of treatment.
Yet sadly, HNC continues to be one of the least known and least supported cancers in Australia.
We have learned from more common types of cancer that when a cancer is recognised and provided with support at a national level it makes a significant difference to public awareness and improves the quality of life for those living with the disease. There is, however, currently no funding from the Federal Government to raise awareness of HNC or provide support to people living with HNC in Australia.
We need to do more to raise our voices. Please support our Christmas Appeal today with a gift of your choice to help support people living with HNC.
The Facts
- 34% increase in HNC in the last 10 years.
- HNC is 58% higher in low socio-economic areas and 72% higher in remote areas.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are disproportionately impacted with a 30% gap in survival rates compared to non-Indigenous Australians.
- 70% of tonsil and base tongue cancer are caused by the human papilloma virus.
- There has been a 385% increase in tongue cancer for otherwise healthy young women.
- Men are three times more likely than women to be diagnosed.
Raising Our Voices -Let’s Talk Action
After five years of listening and responding to people within the HNC community we have presented the first Head and Neck Cancer Australia 2022 Government Submission to the Federal Government asking for funding support that will give the best chance of cure and encourage prevention as well as provide people with much needed support.
What’s needed:
HNC National Awareness Campaign - a targeted education campaign to raise awareness about HNC among the general public, GP’s and dentists.
HNC My Journey App - an online tool to deliver evidence-based information to patients and carers that is right for them, when they need it most.
HNC Survivorship Support - specialist HNC survivorship support, information and a referral service, with a focus on people living with HNC in rural, regional and remote Australia.
As a community that has grown, we can be proud of the achievements we have made as the only national charity in Australia dedicated to providing comprehensive evidence-based resources and information to people newly diagnosed with HNC, people undergoing or recovering from treatment, carers, families, friends and health professionals.
HANCA is committed to supporting the HNC community but we rely on your continued financial support to help us to engage and educate politicians and the Australian community, as well as providing support to empower people who are living with HNC.
Treatments for HNCs are widely acknowledged to be among the toughest in the cancer community. While 71% of people will survive HNC, their short and long-term needs are complex and their ongoing quality of life is often distressingly poor.
People diagnosed and living with HNC deserve the dignity and the right to dedicated care and support.
As a community, raising our voices for people living with HNC is crucial. Now is the time to ask our politicians to listen and take action while we continue to provide information and vital support.
We are ready to talk. Will you help us reach this next milestone by donating to HANCA's Christmas Appeal and support people feeling the impact of HNC in Australia?