Call for Australians to help shape the future of gynaecological cancer care

Every day in Australia, 19 people are diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer, including ovarian, uterine/endometrial, cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers, and tragically, six people lose their lives.

Behind every diagnosis is a deeply personal experience of navigating symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and the lasting impact of cancer. One that can affect not only the person diagnosed, but also their family, friends and those who care for them.

The Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) is now urgently calling on people who have experienced gynaecological cancer, or cared for someone through it, who reside in Western Australia, Tasmania or Australian Capital Territory, to consider sharing their experience to help shape the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Through its Survivors Teaching Students® (STS) program, people who choose to volunteer bring their lived experience into university classrooms, sharing their perspectives with medical, nursing and allied health students.

From recognising symptoms and receiving a diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and the physical and emotional challenges that can follow, their stories take future healthcare professionals beyond the textbook and into real life.

More lived experience voices are urgently needed.
ANZGOG CEO, Caitlin Francis said the call for new volunteers comes as ANZGOG works to ensure future health professionals can learn directly from those who understand the realities of gynaecological cancer firsthand.

“Clinical knowledge is essential, but there is something incredibly powerful about hearing directly from someone who has lived through a gynaecological cancer diagnosis. These stories bring learning to life. They help future doctors, nurses and other health professionals understand not just the disease, but the person behind the diagnosis and the impact cancer can have on every part of their life.” Ms Francis said.

“We urgently need more voices across Tasmania, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory and we’re inviting people to learn more about the program and consider whether this might be a meaningful opportunity for them.” she added.

Since launching in Australia in 2017, and expanding to New Zealand in 2021, Survivors Teaching Students has reached more than 25,000 medical, nursing and allied health students through presentations delivered by 170 volunteers, in partnership with 23 universities across Australia and New Zealand.

For medical student and PhD candidate Nikita Rosendahl, attending an STS presentation during her medical degree was an experience that left a lasting impression and influenced her future direction.

“In my second year of medical school, I attended a class on ovarian and gynaecological cancers through the Survivors Teaching Students program. This was, by far, the most memorable and impactful lecture I had that year. Since then, I have commenced an intercalated PhD program alongside my medical degree, focusing on the function of the immune system in ovarian cancer. I truly believe this lecture by STS played a major role in shaping my research interests.”

For STS Regional Coordinator and ovarian cancer survivor residing in Canberra, Ann Prunty OAM, sharing her story is an opportunity to create a lasting legacy.

“Volunteering with Survivors Teaching Students has shown me that our experiences can become a powerful tool for change. Sharing our stories with students gives them an insight into gynaecological cancer that they simply can’t get from a textbook. What it feels like to seek answers, receive a diagnosis, navigate treatment and life afterwards.

Knowing that our experiences may stay with a future doctor or health professional and influence the way they care for women makes volunteering incredibly worthwhile. I’d encourage others to consider sharing their story too. Together, we have the chance to turn our lived experience into knowledge that could make a real difference to the experience and outcomes of women in the future.”

ANZGOG is now inviting people with lived experience of gynaecological cancers who reside in West Australia, Tasmania or Canberra, including survivors and carers, to join its national community of STS volunteers. Volunteers receive training and ongoing support, and no previous public speaking experience is required.

Could your experience be the one that stays with a future doctor, nurse or health professional and helps shape how they care for someone diagnosed with gynaecological cancer?

To learn more or register your interest in becoming an STS volunteer, visit https://www.anzgog.org.au/sts/.