LAUNCH OF CANCER CARERS' LOUNGE AND RESOURCE CENTRE, THE CANBERRA HOSPITAL, THURSDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2003.

"Cancer is a terrorist because it strikes without warning and it has devastating results." - Professor Reaby.

An appreciative audience of about 80 staff, patients, carers and volunteers, attended the official opening of the Canberra Hospital Cancer Carers' Lounge and Resource Centre held in the foyer of Canberra Hospital this morning.

The launch was performed by Associate Professor Linda L Reaby OAM RN PhD (A/g Head, Nursing, School of Health Science, University of Canberra) who is also a breast cancer survivor. Professor Reaby was introduced by Ms Helen de Britt, Director of Nursing at TCH, who also invited Dr Desmond Yip, an Oncologist at TCH and senior lecturer at the Canberra Clinical School, to outline the origin of the project.

After the launch the gathering adjourned for refreshments in the Lounge and Resource Centre, which is located in the Hospital Auxiliary Library, near Wards 14A and 14B.

This is a link to some further photos from the launch, taken from the WIN News TV coverage.

Additional photos.

Professor Reaby's address at the launch.

"I was honoured when I was asked to launch this carer’s room. I know first hand the importance of this initiative by the volunteers and staff of the Canberra Hospital who are involved with the oncology areas. I have had a cancer diagnosis and I have cared for a number of my family members who have had the disease. It is very heartwarming and encouraging to see that the carer’s role and the meaning of this role is being recognised at the Canberra Hospital. In many instances, the carer is forgotten, the emphasis is on the ill individual and it should be. However, the impact of a cancer diagnosis of a loved one is all consuming for the carer. The fear, frustration, uncertainty and the drain is as intense for these individuals in many circumstances as it is for the person with the disease. Most of my caring was done in the 1970s and the resources for carers were non-existent and many times the carer was treated as a nuisance and was totally disregarded. This is not the case today at TCH.

The carer’s room will serve several purposes. Family members, friends and other carers, while they are in the hospital with the patient, can use this room as a place to seek ìtime out. I know that when a family member is diagnosed with a life threatening cancer that many times the last thing that a carer wants to do is to hear more about cancer. The carer’s room will allow these individuals to just get away for a while, have a cup of coffee or tea, watch television, or due to the efforts of the Hospital Auxiliary, chose to read something from the extensive range of weekly magazines or novels that is available. However, there comes a time when these individuals will want to learn more about what is happening to the person that they are caring for. They will want to seek answers on how to prepare themselves and the person with cancer for events that result from having the disease. The carer’s room has a large range of books, videos, and audiotapes that deal with these issues.

It important for us to realise that there is good news on the horizon for people with cancer and their carers. Individuals diagnosed with cancer are being treated in a far more scientific manner than those who are diagnosed with other life threatening diseases. This is due to the advances demonstrated to be effective through cancer clinical trial research. Because of this research many people are surviving after a cancer diagnosis. For example, in 1970 no children survived long term from leukaemia, today 75% survive; no adults survived long terms from leukaemia, today 35% survive; 5% of individuals in 1970 diagnosed with bone cancer survived, today 55% survive long term; 0% survived long term from advanced testicular cancer in 1970, now 90% survive; 40% of women in 1970 survived breast cancer, today 75% survive, and 95% of women with early beast cancer survive; 0% of individuals with non-small cell lung cancer survived long term in 1970 today 15% survive. This still isn’t good enough for a disease that has been confronting and confusing scientists since the time of Hypocrites.

It is my deepest desire and hope that rooms like this become obsolete, that oncology departments and specialties become non-existent. That time will come, but in my mind it is coming too slowly. Australia has some of the finest cancer researchers in the world and through international collaboration these researchers have the capacity to further reduce cancer deaths and even prevent many of the cancers. However, the Australian Federal Government needs to become serious regarding the war against cancer. Cancer is a terrorist because it strikes without warning and it has devastating results. Cancer accounts for 27% of all deaths in Australia each year. The amount of Federal funding for clinical trial research, particularly for infrastructure, in Australia is a disgrace when compared to other Western countries. In the words of John F. Kennedy I would like to say to this government "There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction".

I would like to congratulate and applaud the Canberra Hospital and its volunteers and staff of the oncology unit for this valuable community service of the carer’s room. They are making the cancer journey easier for patients and their carers and for this the community should be grateful."

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