But the statistics have faces, and in Echuca-Moama the place they turn to is Echuca Regional Health.
ERH cancer support nurses Serena Morley and Jenny Railton are there for the people not the statistics, and vital to their ongoing success is the money raised through Cancer Council's Daffodil Day appeal.
The team of nurses, led by medical day treatment nurse unit manager Lyn Jeffreson, works closely with people who have a diagnosis of cancer during what is a challenging and difficult time.
For Daffodil Day today, Friday, August 28, Serena emphasised the importance of giving to the Cancer Council appeal.
“Donations go towards research, cancer prevention and screening programmes, as well as information and support services, which is important to support and benefit the broader community,” she said.
Serena said working with a team of nurses, specialists and allied health professionals towards a common goal of providing excellent oncology care to patients was one the best parts of her job.
“It’s really rewarding to improve a person’s experience by facilitating or implementing a change they may not have had access to before being referred to our team,” she said.
“Sometimes just listening to someone is enough to help them feel more settled with their cancer experience, as well as referring them to the most appropriate service needed at that time.”
Jenny said one of the hardest parts was working with a patient who had been struggling for some time, knowing their experience could’ve been different.
“Often some little changes to their interventions could have made a huge difference early on,” she said.
“Early cancer detection and innovations in treatment have thankfully allowed many more people to call themselves cancer survivors, and this is why early detection and prevention is so important,” she said.
From June 2019 to June 2020, the ERH oncology unit administered more than 1000 chemotherapy and immune therapy treatments, as well as many other supportive treatments such as blood transfusions.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions, Lyn said there had not been much of a change to their services.
“In our department we are still able to see patients face-to-face with the appropriate screening and precautions,” she said.
“We have found many patients are enjoying accessing our services, as sometimes this is the only opportunity to leave their house other than shopping during this time.
“We’ve also been supporting patients to engage with their specialists through telehealth, which has lessened the financial impact, as they don’t have to travel to Melbourne and Bendigo for appointments.”
Lyn encouraged people to see their GP if they noticed any changes such as a different-looking skin spot, a change in bowel or urine habits or pain or discomfort that is new to them.
“Your GP will know how to access further specialist services and investigations,” she said.
“The national screening programmes such as Bowel Cancer Screening are continuing throughout COVID-19, and it is so important for everyone to continue regular health checks with their GP.”
To donate to the Daffodil Day appeal, visit www.daffodilday.com.au
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