Advocate – “one who pleads the cause for another”
By nature, cancer medicine is a complex science. In the context of a resource-limited healthcare system, standards of care are established based on clinical trial evidence.
In contrast, a cancer diagnosis is a deeply personal and human experience. Here, the science needs to be holistically integrated with the circumstances of the individual to achieve the best possible outcome, however that may be defined, in the context of an individual.
I am always driven to advocate for my patients to create the best possible outcomes. Patients themselves do not yet have the knowledge or the skill set to navigate the complexities of cancer care. So, as a practitioner, that advocacy role naturally sits with me. In fact, successful advocacy is one of the most rewarding and satisfying aspects of my work.
Rarely do I come across a patient with experience and a skill set to take up the challenge of advocacy. Nicole was one such individual. Nicole worked with me not only advocating for herself but also became a nationally-known advocate for cancer patients. The links in this page are content created by Nicole. I believe they will be a valuable resource to many cancer patients.
The better we understand the importance of advocacy, the more collaborative and rewarding our collective experience will be and most importantly the better cancer outcomes will be.
Dr Prasad Cooray
Yarra Oncology is honoured to be the recipient of the Servier Patient Central Award. The Award will support the expansion of integrated supportive care services, at the time of an advanced cancer diagnosis.
Nicole Cooper on being a patient and advocate in a ‘system’ needing to change.
Read about Nicole’s journey as a patient advocate, and stage IV cancer patient.
Listen to the stories of people from all walks of life and what their journey’s through our medical system have looked like.
