A single day can have an endless impact.

With more Victorians impacted by cancer than ever before, Cancer Council Victoria is urging the community to unite and get behind its biggest single-day fundraising event of the year – Cancer Research Giving Day on Thursday, 19 February – and together give hope for a cancer-free future.

Recently released data from the Victorian Cancer Registry (VCR) revealed the state recorded its highest-ever number of cancer diagnoses in 2024 – leading Cancer Council Victoria to call for increased support to fund vital research programs so that more Victorians have the best chance of surviving cancer.

The VCR report also highlighted the direct impacts of recent investments in cancer research – in the past five years alone, an estimated 23,900 Victorian lives have been saved due to improvements made in screening, early detection and treatment.

While recent investments in research have fuelled positive change, the continued rise in diagnoses – and cancer’s reach across the community – showed a need to accelerate efforts to transform care and support.

Nearly all of us have been impacted by cancer – whether directly or through the experiences of a loved one – and it’s incredibly sad that about one in two of us will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85.

Cancer is still the leading cause of death in Victoria, and with 33 Victorians dying from the disease each day, there is still so much more that needs to be done.

That’s why Cancer Research Giving Day is so important.

Not only is it an opportunity to come together as Victorians and recognise the life-saving impacts of current research programs, but crucially it gives us a chance to continue the momentum.”

Cancer Research Giving Day, on 19 February, will see all donations to Cancer Council Victoria’s vital cancer research doubled until midnight.

Thanks to the contributions of generous matching donors, this means every dollar raised will effectively have twice the impact.

This year’s campaign is hoping to raise $800,000 to boost future, life-saving research programs and help give hope for a cancer-free future for all Victorians.

To learn more about Cancer Research Giving Day and make a donation to support the future of cancer research, go to www.cancervic.org.au and click ‘donate now’.

Lyrian Fleming-Parsley, Cancer Council Victoria

Transparency on specialist fees is a welcome reform

Catholic Health Australia has welcomed new legislation introduced today to improve the transparency of specialist doctor fees as health costs continue to soar.

The new legislation will allow the government to upload specialist cost data directly to the Medical Costs Finder, an online tool that helps patients understand costs for specialist services.

The Medical Costs Finder is already operating, but its impact has been limited because participation by individual specialists has been voluntary and extremely low, meaning patients often cannot see what a specific doctor actually charges.

The new legislation allowing the government to upload data directly to the Medical Costs Finder will address this gap by using existing Medicare, hospital, and private health insurance data.

This reform is critical as out-of-pocket costs for specialist care are rising and becoming increasingly unpredictable for patients.

CHA has long called for changes to ensure the Medical Costs Finder is genuinely useful for patients.

While this reform is welcome, it is only the start.

Access to specialist care is shaped by a range of factors, and transparency of fees is just one of them.

Broader systemic issues affecting access must also be addressed.

CHA is calling for a comprehensive review of access to specialist care across both public and private settings to ensure people can get the care they need, when they need it.

The goal must be a health system where people can access timely specialist care based on need, not on their capacity to absorb unexpected and growing out-of-pocket costs, their postcode, or other structural barriers.

CHA looks forward to working constructively with the government to ensure these laws deliver strong consumer protections, improve access to specialist care, and support a sustainable and trusted health system.

Dr Katharine Bassett, Catholic Health Australia director of health policy