Addressing Disparities in Cancer Care It is said “cancer is the great equaliser”. But is that really the case? This saying suggests cancer doesn’t know your race, sex, education level, socioeconomic status or whether you’re a celebrity or not. It can affect anyone at anytime, anywhere. However, here at ANZUP, we unfortunately know that this isn’t the case. Just like many other areas in our society, our First Nations people, that is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, are at a disadvantage. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience inequities in their cancer care, compared to non-indigenous Australians, and the disparity in care is continuing to increase. We invited Professor Gail Garvey, and Dr Daniel Lindsay from the University of Queensland, to our ANZUP Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) on 18 October 2021 to discuss this issue.
An overview of research strategies to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander with cancer, Gail Garvey
PROF GAIL HARVEY
18 A LITTLE BELOW THE BELT
Prof Garvey is a Professor of Indigenous Health Research, a proud Kamilaroi woman and a standout leader in cancer care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. She leads an extensive and targeted research program on well-being and cancer care for indigenous peoples.
“Cancer is one of the leading causes of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and the cancer mortality gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians continues to widen over time”, says Prof Garvey. Indigenous peoples are experiencing inequities at every point in their cancer care, including higher risk factors, lower prevention and early detection, high incidence levels and untimely diagnosis and treatment. The result of this is lower survival rates and increased mortality. Prof Garvey leads several targeted research projects focussing on supporting caregivers, building communication programs, understanding fear of recurrence, and improving cardiovascular health.
“It’s important that we understand the broader context in which health care is experienced and aspects of the broader social, cultural, and political environment…can influence either negatively or positively the way individuals, families, communities engage with health care and manage their own health,” explains Prof Garvey of her research focus areas.
