The Australian Brain Tumour Collaborative (ABTC) held its inaugural steering committee meeting on 9 December 2022. The Collaborative aims to develop and convey a united national voice that provides consolidated and evidence based advocacy to governments, stakeholders and the Australian brain cancer patient, family and carer community. This advocacy seeks to clearly define key issues and national responses that achieve better support and outcomes for individuals, carers and families impacted by brain tumour in Australia. In particular, responses and actions to minimise the significant challenges the disease and treatments present to consumers from date of diagnosis and through the survivorship journey.
The Collaborative’s objectives are as follows:
• Identify and promote understanding of key gaps in services and support for people impacted by brain tumour.
• Promote integration, partnerships and information sharing within the national brain tumour sector that better supports people impacted by brain tumour.
• Promote patient-centred solutions to challenges associated with the survivorship journey for people living with brain tumour, drawing on evidence based research and lived experience.
• Individually and collectively advocate for better access to service coordination and ongoing supports for people with brain tumour and for the continuing research and clinical trials to inform prevention, treatment and care.
The committee selected Mr Craig Cardinal from the Brain Tumour Alliance Australia (BTAA) to be the inaugural chair of the ABTC steering committee. There are currently seven foundation member organisations of the Collaborative.
These members include organisations with focus on patient support and survivorship, best practice clinical care and research interests and are as follows:
• Brain Tumour Alliance of Australia
• PeaceOfMind Foundation
• Robert Connor Dawes Foundation
• Cure Brain Cancer Foundation
• The Brain Cancer Group
• The Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology (COGNO)
• The Mark Hughes Foundation
The Collaborative’s steering committee has endorsed a governance framework and commenced development of an initial road map identifying opportunities and priorities for patients and consumers for the next 12 months.
The Collaborative will be writing to government and other key stakeholders to communicate its establishment and to identify early opportunities to improve outcomes for people impacted by brain tumour.
Importantly, the ABTC recognises and supports the individual objectives and achievements of all Australian brain tumour support providers and stakeholders. The ABTC seeks to enhance current critical initiatives – such as, the Australian Brain Cancer Mission