Cancer Information & Support Service turns 20

17 May 2010

Cancer Council Victoria’s Cancer Information and Support Service (CISS) has celebrated 20 years of supporting Victorians affected by cancer.

Established in 1990 and funded wholly by donations, the CISS provides a wide range of programs to address the information, emotional and social needs of cancer patients, their families and carers.

The CISS team is made up of dedicated cancer nurses, doctors, social workers, health professionals and volunteers, and over the past 20 years has provided cancer information and support to more that 750 000 Victorians and their families.

Dr Amanda Hordern, Director of CISS, said a cancer diagnosis can often be overwhelming since there is such a huge amount of information out there.

“For instance, there is a lot of unnecessary anxiety caused by self-diagnosis or reading conflicting information off the internet,” she said.

The CISS operates a free phone helpline, runs free workshops and seminars, educates health professionals, and links those affected by cancer with a wealth of resources and support.

Key CISS achievements:

• Provided support services to over 750 000 people with cancer, with around 26% of these people living in rural and regional areas of Victoria.
• Linked around 6000 Victorians affected by cancer to trained volunteers through the Cancer Connect telephone peer support program.
• Provided communications skills training to around 1280 Victorian clinicians since 2004.
• Supported around 900 Victorian nurses who have successfully completed the unit of study: ‘Breast Care Nursing: Foundations for Practice’, delivered at La Trobe University in collaboration with Cancer Council Victoria.

For more information

To find out more about the Cancer Information and Support Service, visit the Cancer Council Victoria website.