Victoria has some of the best cancer outcomes in the world. But if you live in regional Victoria, your chances of getting cancer and dying of cancer, are significantly higher than Melbournians.
Cancer isn't fair. Where you live, your ethnicity, your socio-economic status and even your gender and sexual identity can affect your chances of developing cancer, and your chances of survival.
Given new opportunities afforded by tele-health, tele-trials, and investments in regional cancer centres, the VCCC Alliance is asking why we aren’t seeing more rapid improvements and an alleviation of the additional burdens experienced by regional patients and their families.
The story of Rhonda Mowat highlights the importance of a new study being led by the VCCC Alliance, which is exploring the tyranny of distance for many patients who require cancer treatment.
Video: Rhonda’s story shared with many thanks to the Mowat family and Bendigo Health. Video produced by Loddon Mallee Integrated Cancer Service (LMICS) and Western Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (WCMICS).
Rhonda had a rare form of lung cancer. She and her husband Keith made fortnightly trips to Melbourne from their farm in Matangatang, in northern Victoria, so that Rhonda could participate in a clinical trial. They took 37 round trips of 826km each by car, train and bus over the course of her treatment.
Sadly, Rhonda passed away in September 2023. Although she was happy and grateful for the extra time the trial treatment gave her, Keith recalls the emotional, physical, and financial toll the travel took on both of them:
“There wasn’t really a choice, we just got on with it. Rhonda got five more years as a result of the treatment offered through the clinical trial so it was worth all the time, money and energy. But it was exhausting and hard – I don’t know what we would have done if we didn’t have our son to look after the farm while we were away for days at a time. Others may have had to make different decisions. Hard decisions. Lucky for us, Rhonda was so strong-willed and we had things in place that made it possible.”
The VCCC Alliance’s study is being led by Dr Richard Khor, a radiation oncologist at Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre at Austin Health. He believes better care and support for cancer patients can come by properly understanding the reasons for excess travel and the barriers to receiving care closer to home:
“Policy makers can use this information to address specific barriers, such as inadequate local healthcare infrastructure, transportation challenges, or disparities in resource allocation. The data can inform decisions that will enhance healthcare accessibility.”
The study will compare patient experiences in a metropolitan centre and a regional radiotherapy centre to quantify travel distances, costs, and gain further insights as to why patients may be accessing a radiotherapy centre that is a greater distance from home. Dr Khor and the study team will examine the associated impact this can have on patient satisfaction and quality of life. It is hoped the study will inform a costing model that will encourage and support patients to access radiotherapy closer to home, taking advantage of the quality services that already exist in many regional centres.
