Other helpful information

• • Your guide to dealing with cancer – For young people aged 16-25 (Canteen)
  • Canteen Connect – Online community and portal (Canteen)
  • Regenerate – Information on different areas of life after cancer treatment, for young people aged 15-25
  • Youth-friendly health services directory – primary care and community-based health services that support young people aged 15-25 years (currently only metropolitan and greater Melbourne areas)
  • The Victorian Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Service (at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre)
  • Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) – Cancer information for young people (UK)
  • Getting to grips with general practice – A guide for young people during cancer treatment and beyond (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre)
  • Life on Pause podcast – For and by young adults living with cancer (Penn State Health, USA)

Fertility, relationships, and sexual health

• • A guide to relationships, sex and fertility for young people with cancer (Canteen)
  • A guide to relationships, sex and fertility for young people after cancer (Canteen)
  • Being OK… being you: A guide for young people who identify as LGBTIQ+ and have cancer (The Victorian Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Service)
  • Human papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine (Cancer Council)
  • HPV vaccine for teenagers (Cancer Council)
  • The National Cervical Cancer Screening Program

Mental health, and wellbeing

• • Youth mental health information (Beyond Blue)
  • Kids Helpline – For young people aged 5-25
  • Youth Drug and Alcohol Advice (YoDAA) – Support around youth drug and alcohol use

Headspace – resources for young people

• • Mental ill health – Topics including depression, anxiety, body image, eating disorders, trauma, self-harm
  • Understanding bullying
  • Alcohol and other drugs – Including impact on mental health
  • Tips for a healthy headspace

Headspace – resources for family and friends of young people

• • An overview of mental health, for family and friends
  • Mental ill health – Topics including depression, anxiety, body image, eating disorders, trauma, self-harm
  • Alcohol and other drugs: how you can support your young person
  • Building a healthy relationship with your young person
  • 7 ways to support a young person’s healthy headspace

Adolescent transition from paediatrics

Resources by The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), Melbourne.

For young people

• • The basics for young people
  • Differences in care – paediatric to adult healthcare
  • Independence, empowerment and taking control of your health care
  • All you need to know about GPs
  • How to talk to your doctor and other members of your healthcare team
  • ID, health cards, and other practical matters
  • Know your rights

For parents and carers

• • The basics for parents and carers
  • Encouraging independence in your son or daughter

• • Camp Quality – Recreation, education, and hospital programs
  • Cancer Hub – Practical and emotional support
  • Canteen – Information and support services for all young people impacted by cancer
  • Challenge – Recreational programs and practical support
  • The Children’s Cancer Family Support Alliance – Hub of services and supports
  • Children’s Cancer Foundation – Financial support for counselling services
  • Christina Ghobadi Foundation – Grants to improve wellbeing for young adults
  • Koala Kids – Activities, packs, and resources
  • Leila Rose Foundation – Practical and financial support
  • Linkt Assist – Support program for tollway charges
  • My Room – Financial support
  • Orygen Specialist Program – Mental health services for young people aged 12 – 25 in west/north-west Melbourne
  • Redkite – Practical and financial support
  • Ronald McDonald Houses – Accommodation near treatment centres

Support for specific diseases only

• • Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation – Information and financial support (Bone Marrow Transplant diagnoses only)
  • Brainchild Foundation – Financial support (brain or spinal cord tumour diagnosis only)
  • Brainwave – Programs, in-hospital support, and connecting families (brain illness or injuries only)
  • The Leukaemia Foundation – Information, accommodation and transport services (blood cancer diagnoses only)
  • Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision – Tele-support service (Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome diagnoses only)
  • Neuroblastoma Australia – Family support group (neuroblastoma diagnosis only)

• • About childhood cancer (Cancer Council Victoria)
  • Kids’ guide to cancer – Age-appropriate cancer education for kids up to 15 years old (Camp Quality)
  • Talking to kids about cancer (Cancer Council Victoria)
  • Communicating about cancer – Tips for parents and carers (Canteen)
  • Reactions and emotions to childhood cancer (Cancer Council Victoria)
  • So Your Child Has Cancer – Resources developed by parents of children and adolescents affected by cancer
  • Paediatric Palliative Care – Resources for families

Information about specific diseases

• • The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation (AAMDS) – patient guides and fact sheets
  • The Leukaemia Foundation – Blood cancer information
  • KidsHealth – Explore specific cancer and tumour types (USA)
  • Macmillan Cancer Support – Cancer A to Z (UK)

• • Educational issues following treatment (The Children’s Oncology Group)
  • Ronald McDonald Learning Program – Helping children catch up on missed learning
  • GymbaROO – Baby and young child development programs
  • Canteen’s Education and Career Service – For young people aged 12-25
  • School, study and work – For adolescents and young adults (Regenerate)
  • Thinking Ahead – Guide to school, study and work (The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre)
  • Missing School – Technology/robot support to dial into classes
  • Precision Academics – Resources for students with special learning needs
  • VTAC Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) and scholarships (Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre)

For educators

• • Cancer in the school community – Information for educators (Cancer Council Victoria)
  • Navigating cancer in the school community – Teacher resource pack (Camp Quality)
  • Be You – Helping educators to support mental health and wellbeing in early learning services and schools (Beyond Blue)

Social

• • Supporting your friend when they have cancer (Canteen)
  • Supporting your friend when someone in their family has cancer (Canteen)

• • Kids Health Info fact sheets – The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH)
  • A child’s guide to hospital – Video series for children (RCH)
  • Being an advocate for children and teenagers with additional needs (The Raising Children Network)
  • How to Give Medicines to Children (RCH)
  • Medicine & Your Child: A guide for parents on adherence and administration (National Institute of Health, USA)
  • A child’s guide to hospital: Oral Medicine (RCH)
  • Australian guide to healthy eating
  • Great food = great teeth
  • Be a SunSmart family (SunSmart)
  • LGBTQI+ people and cancer (Cancer Council)

Mental health, and wellbeing

• • Find a psychologist (Australian Psychological Society)
  • Eating disorders in children and teens (Eating Disorders Foundation)

Support for children 0-12

• • Child mental health & wellbeing (The Raising Children Network)
  • Childhood anxiety: A guide for parents, carers and supporters (RCH)
  • Building resilience in children aged 0–12 (Beyond Blue)

Support for young people 13+ – see ‘Adolescent and young adult’ section, above

Support for families

• • Parent mental health & wellbeing (The Raising Children Network)
  • Self-care for family (Headspace)
  • Parentline – Counselling and support for parents and carers

Crisis support

• • Kids Helpline – For young people aged 5-25
  • Lifeline
  • Reach Out
  • Safe and Equal – Family violence services
  • Suicide Line

Fertility

• • Fertility and cancer (Cancer Council Victoria)
  • Fertility preservation for children with cancer (The Royal Women’s Hospital)
  • A guide to relationships, sex and fertility for young people with cancer (Canteen)

You can find external links specific to LTF patients, or those supporting them, on the Long Term Follow-up Program page.

• Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses (APHON) (Australia)
• Australian and New Zealand Children’s Haematology/Oncology Group (ANZCHOG)
• Cancer Australia
• Children’s Cancer Institute Australia (CCIA)
• Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) (UK)
• Children’s Oncology Group (COG) (USA)
• CureSearch for Children’s Cancer (USA)
• International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) (global)
• Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) (Australia)

• • My sibling has cancer (Canteen)
  • Dealing with your brother or sister’s cancer (Canteen)
  • Supporting siblings: Helping brothers and sisters cope with childhood cancer (Redkite)
  • When your brother or sister’s cancer can’t be cured (Canteen)
  • Living with the death of your parent, brother or sister with cancer (Canteen)
  • Brothers and sisters of a child with cancer (CCLG – UK)
  • SuperSibs! – Supporting siblings of children and adolescents with cancer (USA)

• • Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre (at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre)
  • Regenerate – Information on different areas of life after cancer treatment

Survivor stories

From the Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre (ACSC).

• • A survivor’s story: Matilda
  • A survivor’s story: Sarah

You can find more external links about survivorship on the Long Term Follow-up Program page.