Head and Neck Cancer Australia Update

Gemma from Head and Neck Cancer Australia (HANCA) joined us today to talk to us about their recent advocacy and initiatives.

Launched in 2016, HANCA are the only national charity dedicated to supporting people living with head and neck cancer, including the 5600 Australians who are newly diagnosed each year. Dedicated to driving better outcomes, HANCA is active in advocacy spaces as well as involved in the direct support of clinicians and patients. It also supports ‘Activating your community’ which could involve contacting your local MP, sharing stories on social media, and it raises awareness through direct media engagement and interviews. 

More recently HANCA has moved beyond support to driving policy change through submissions to senate enquiries and securing federal government grants and more. The free Head and Neck Cancer Hotline was another significant win for patients in 2025, designed to fill the gap post treatment, and shortly a dietician and speech pathologist are to be added to the helpline team which is fabulous news. They also run Head and Neck Cancer support groups for patients, and for family and friends.

HANCA’s current advocacy is in the facial prostheses space. They are calling for facial prosthetics funding, modelled on the National Breast Prosthetic Reimbursement Scheme, given the significant financial burden of head and neck cancer for the roughly 300 Australians affected each year. While the HANCA facial prosthetic funding submission was not successful this year there are encouraging signs for the future, with feedback suggesting that the case was strong but the timing wasn’t quite right this year.

While funding for the help line concludes in 2027, HANCA is optimistic that further funding will be secured. Fingers crossed, because feedback from head and neck cancer patients and carers has been excellent.

Many thanks to Gemma for her time! We noted that July is Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month here in Australia, culminating in World Head and Neck Cancer Day on 27 July. And we also celebrate HANCA’s 10 year anniversary!

After we spoke to Gemma, we met a new member, and then chatted among ourselves as usual, swapping notes and tips. Loss of taste was discussed, as well as dental work, the fear of recurrence, and the psychological toll that head and neck cancer can have.

See you all next month.