Welcome to the Course

This course supports primary care professionals to better recognise and manage rare and less common cancers. It builds a foundational understanding of how these cancers differ from more common cancers, highlights the lived experience of people affected, and explores the critical role of primary care in early recognition, safety-netting and coordinated care. The course also focuses on navigating diagnostic uncertainty, referral pathways and multidisciplinary care, strengthening primary care capability to provide coordinated, person-centred support for people with rare and less common cancers and their carers across the cancer continuum.

Our Partner

Acknowledgements

Rare Cancers Australia, in collaboration with the VCCC Alliance and members of our community, including patients, clinicians and health professionals, developed this course. We would like to acknowledge and thank the following people for their contributions to these modules:

• Dr Emily Ischam, General Practitioner and lived expert
• Cath Armstrong, lived expert
• Dominic Lynch, lived expert
• Acting Professor Justin Tse, General Practitioner
• Jessica Smith, Medical Oncologist Southwestern Sydney LHD
• Colin Hornby, Radiotherapy Adviser VIC Department of Health
• Ian Kamerman, General Practitioner and lived expert
• Richard Vines, Director and Founder Rare Cancers Australia
• Christine Cockburn, CEO Rare Cancers Australia
• Cathy Slattery, Head of Patient Programs Rare Cancers Australia
• Sarah Benger, Head of Policy and Public Affairs Rare Cancers Australia
• Jaime Macedo, Cancer Navigation Program Lead Rare Cancers Australia
• Erin Turner, VCCC Alliance
• Kyleigh Smith, VCCC Alliance
• Arlie Novy, Education and Outreach Manager Rare Cancers Australia