Supportive care takes centre stage at the 2026 CNSA Conference
GRICS Cancer Service Improvement Coordinator, Nazib Khan, recently attended the 2026 Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA) Conference, participating in the Supportive Care session where he presented an oral presentation and explored emerging evidence and innovative models of supportive cancer care.
The session showcased a range of patient-centred initiatives that recognise supportive care as an essential component of quality cancer care. Presentations highlighted the value of early nutrition screening and intervention, telehealth nurse-led counselling for people with melanoma, along with Nazib’s research examining the relationship between physical activity, handgrip strength and prostate cancer survival using UK Biobank data.
Other presentations focused on supporting cancer carers, integrating exercise into recovery following gynaecological cancer treatment, and addressing sexual wellbeing for people receiving endocrine therapy for breast cancer. Together, these presentations reinforced the importance of multidisciplinary care that supports people throughout their cancer journey, not only during treatment, but across survivorship and recovery.
For GRICS, attending forums such as the CNSA Conference provides an opportunity to share regional initiatives while bringing back contemporary evidence and practical ideas that can help strengthen cancer care across Gippsland. The common themes of early intervention, nurse-led models of care, multidisciplinary collaboration and person-centred supportive care closely with our ongoing service improvement work across the region.
