Survivorship education

There have been four past iterations of CPPiCS that have been held since 2015, led by the ACSC.

The pilot program (2015) comprised 16 GP and 12 practice nurses (PN) who completed placements at a single centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac). The evaluation of this pilot established that a clinical placement program was feasible, and clinically and professionally valuable.

The second iteration (2016) included 33 GP and 16 PN participating in placements that focused on a broader approach to cancer survivorship and bi-directional learning.

The third iteration (2017–2019) reached 53 GP, 15 PN and 22 AHP. In this iteration, AHP were included for the first time. AHP showed high interest, resulting in a waitlist for placements.

The fourth iteration (2022-2024) provided 40 PN and 166 AHP survivorship placements across 10 health services, including acute, rehabilitation, community health and paediatric services. It showed that short observational placements alongside online education can improve survivorship knowledge and confidence, which may be translated into clinical practice.

Key findings and reference from past iterations:

• 1-page key findings from the 4th iteration
• Peer-reviewed article from the 3rd iteration - Piper A, Leon L, Kelly H, Bailey A, Wiley G, Lisy K, Simkiss L, Jefford M. Clinical placement program in cancer survivorship for primary care providers 2017-2019. J Can Surv. 2020 Feb;14(1):14-18. doi: 10.1007/s11764-019-00817-2 

The ACSC collaborates with many leading organisations to deliver survivorship-related webinars.  

Collaborations have included the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA), Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA), Cancer Council Victoria (CCV), the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA). 

Follow upcoming professional development webinars, and to view previously delivered webinars, visit our Health Professional Events page.

Survivorship – Reconsidering Clinical Care, Policy, and Research Priorities for the Modern Era  presented by Prof Michael Jefford, ACSC Director, at the 2023 COSA Annual Scientific Meeting.

Supporting people living with and beyond cancer presented by Prof Michael Jefford, ACSC Director, at the 2024 COSA Annual Scientific Meeting.

Cancer survivorship course

• 6-module introductory course for all health professionals
• offers up-to-date, evidence-based practical tools, tips and resources designed to help you improve care for people affected by cancer.
• The course was developed by ACSC in collaboration with Peter Mac, the University of Sydney, the Queensland University of Technology and national survivorship experts.

Cancer survivorship rapid learning

• 15 minutes rapid learning module for all health professionals
• Discusses the term ‘cancer survivor’, key survivorship resources, the importance of healthy lifestyle behaviours, survivorship care plans and engaging primary care in cancer survivorship.
• This rapid learning was developed by eviQ and the ACSC.

Cancer survivorship for primary care practitioners

• 4-week course for primary care practitioners including general practitioners, nurses and allied health professionals.
• Explores the importance of cancer survivorship, how to provide effective care plans, the psychosocial and emotional impacts of cancer survivorship care and more.
• Accreditation available
• This course was developed by The University of Melbourne

Health After Cancer Online course for primary care physicians

• Online course for primary care physicians
• Presents basic principles of cancer survivorship and aims to raise awareness of the complex physical and psychosocial needs of cancer survivors
• This course was developed by Stanford Medicine (US) 

The Cancer Survivorship Community of Practice provides a forum for people who share a passion for cancer survivorship. Visit our Health Professional Events page for upcoming Community of Practice events.  

Through regular events and an online collaborative workspace, the community of practice shares evidence-based resources and findings and promotes partnerships to develop sustainable service design. 

To join the online survivorship collaborative workspace, contact ACSC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The contents of this workshop is currently under review

• This workshop is open to all nursing and allied health professionals
• It provides participants with key knowledge, skills and resources for implementing cancer survivorship care into practice
• It covers the key elements of survivorship, the common experiences of cancer survivors, motivational interviewing techniques, chronic disease management in primary care, tools/resources and group work to reinforce new skills.

For more information, please contact ACSC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The ACSC offers in-service education to Peter Mac departments to help up-skill teams and support development of enhanced survivorship care in their unit.  

For more information contact ACSC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The ACSC regularly hosts interstate and international visitors seeking tailored advice regarding developing or expanding their survivorship initiatives.  

For more information contact the ACSC Acting Manager, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..