Cancer Council Victoria is a

not-for-profit A not-for-profit or non-for-profit organization (NFPO) is a Legal Entity, legal entity that does not distribute surplus funds to its members and is formed to fulfill specific objectives. While not-for-profit organizations and Nonprofit organ ...

organisation which aims to reduce the impact of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

in Victoria. It is an independent body that advises various groups, including government, on cancer-related issues. Cancer Council Victoria also conducts and funds

cancer research Cancer research is research into cancer to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure. Cancer research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience to the performance of clinical trials to evaluate ...

, acts as an

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. List of country legal systems, Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a ba ...

for cancer patients and their families, and runs cancer

prevention Prevention may refer to: Health and medicine * Preventive healthcare, measures to prevent diseases or injuries rather than curing them or treating their symptoms General safety * Crime prevention, the attempt to reduce deter crime and crimin ...

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

and support programs. Formerly known as The Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria, in 2002 the organisation

rebranded Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, concept or combination thereof is created for an established brand with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investors ...

itself as The Cancer Council Victoria. In 2008, 'The' was dropped from the name, giving the organisation its current name of 'Cancer Council Victoria'. Its logo is the daffodil, used to symbolise

hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large. As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...

History

The Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria was established by the

Victorian Government The Victoria State Government, also referred to as the Victorian Government, is the executive government of the Australian state of Victoria. As a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, the State Government was first formed in 1851 when Vic ...

in 1936 through the Anti-Cancer Council Act. This act specified that the newly established council should remain independent of the government. Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop and Sir Peter MacCallum have been notable Chairs of the Cancer Council Executive Committee. Ivy Brookes was vice-president of the organisation for 30 years. Cancer Council Victoria has a long history of

anti-smoking Tobacco control is a field of international public health science, policy and practice dedicated to addressing tobacco use and thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality it causes. Since most cigarettes and cigars and hookahs contain or use ...

advocacy, dating back to the early 1960s, even pre-dating the landmark 1964 US General Surgeon's Report on links between tobacco and cancer.

Significant contributions to cancer control

Cancer Council Victoria has contributed to cancer control in a number of areas. Of particular note: *Cancer Council Victoria awarded the Carden Fellowship to Professor Donald Metcalf AC in 1954. Working as the Carden Fellow, Professor Metcalf went on to discover and develop colony-stimulating factors, which have since been used in the treatment of millions of cancer patients around the world. *Cancer Council Victoria pioneered the comprehensive information and support system now used throughout Australia, Canada, and

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

. *Cancer Council Victoria partnered with

La Trobe University La Trobe University is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora, Victoria, Bundoora. The university was established in 1 ...

to develop specialised post-graduate training for nurses to provide tailored care for breast cancer patients. *The iconic

Slip-Slop-Slap ''Slip-Slop-Slap'' (originally ''Slip! Slop! Drop!'') is a mnemonic slogan for reducing Health effects of sunlight exposure, unhealthy sun exposure by ''slipping'' on a shirt or rash guard, ''slopping'' on sunscreen, and ''slapping'' on a sun h ...

skin cancer Skin cancers are cancers that arise from the Human skin, skin. They are due to the development of abnormal cells (biology), cells that have the ability to invade or metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. It occurs when skin cells grow ...

prevention campaign was developed at Cancer Council Victoria, and was launched in 1981. Reports have found the Slip-Slop-Slap campaign is one of the most cost-effective and successful public health initiatives in Australia.
Quit Victoria
is a joint initiative of Cancer Council Victoria,

VicHealth The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation is a statutory authority in the Australian state of Victoria, originally funded by hypothecated taxation raised by the ''Victorian Tobacco Act 1987''. It was the first health promotion body in the worl ...

, th
Victorian Department of Health
and the National Heart Foundation of Australia. Quit encourages smoking cessation and campaigns have proven effective in encouraging people to try to quit. *The Victorian Cancer Registry is a part of Cancer Council Victoria, and since 1982 has kept statistical records of cancer in Victoria for use in epidemiology, epidemiological research and in policy development. The registry provides regular reports for the general public and more comprehensive data is available for researchers who require it.

Research

In 2009, Cancer Council Victoria spent $22.4 million on research programs. In 2010, $20.1 million was spent on research. Much of this research is conducted at Cancer Council Victoria itself, through the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Epidemiology Centre, and the Tobacco Control Unit. Cancer Council Victoria funds clinical research into cancers of the bone cancer, bone, bowel cancer, bowel, brain cancer, brain, breast cancer, breast, liver cancer, liver, lung cancer, lung, prostate cancer, prostate, stomach cancer, stomach and any other form of the disease. In 2010 Cancer Council Victoria research was recognised by the SCImago Journal Rank, SCImago Research Group as some of Australia's best. SCImago measured the rate at which an institute's research is the result of international collaboration and the rate at which it is published in high-quality journals – in both measures Cancer Council Victoria was in Australia's top five. In a measure of the rate at which Cancer Council Victoria's research is cited by other research institutes, the organisation was ranked number one in Australia, scoring 2.51 times the international average.

Support and prevention

In 2009, Cancer Council Victoria spent $22.4 million on education, prevention and support initiatives. In 2010 this amount had risen to $27 million. Cancer Council Victoria has offered an information service to Victorians since 1940. Today, Cancer Council Victoria runs th
Cancer Information and Support Service
which offers multi-lingual telephone support through th
Cancer Council Helpline
online support throug
cancerconnections.com.au
one-on-one peer support throug
Cancer Connect
and a variety of other initiatives.Cancer Council Victoria Support Service Website
retrieved 21 April 2011 Cancer Council Victoria also facilitates or assists partner organisations in a variety of preventive medicine, preventive programs and campaigns, such as:
Quit VictoriaSunSmartPapScreen VictoriaGet Behind Bowel ScreeningCut Your Cancer RiskThe Parents JuryThe Obesity Policy CoalitionThe Alcohol Policy Coalition

Fundraising

Cancer Council Victoria works within Cancer Council Australia and alongside other States and territories of Australia, states and territories to run a variety of fundraising events, such as:
Australia's Biggest Morning TeaRelay For LifeCall To ArmsGirls Night In

Structure

Cancer Council Victoria is one of eight Cancer Council's from around Australia which make up Cancer Council Australia. Each individual Cancer Council operates in their individual states and territories: *Cancer Council ACT *Cancer Council New South Wales *Cancer Council Northern Territory, Cancer Northern Territory *Cancer Council Queensland *Cancer Council South Australia *Cancer Council Tasmania *Cancer Council Victoria *Cancer Council Western Australia

External links

Official website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cancer Council Australia Cancer organisations based in Australia Health charities in Australia Medical and health organisations based in Victoria (state)