Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Understanding access to cancer diagnosis and treatment in rural and remote Australia: perspectives of people with lived experience (145954)

Charlene Wright 1 , Serene Yoong 1 , Amy E Anderson 1 , Fiona Crawford Williams 2 , Skye Marshall 1 , Emily Lavcanski 1 , Sharina Riva 1 , Julie Parker 3 , Narelle Patton 3 , Helena Rodi 1 , Hannah Jongebloed 1 , Anna Wong Shee 4 , Camille Short 5 , Nicolas H Hart 6 7 8 9 , Kate Gunn 10 , Rebecca Bergin 1 , Anna Boltong 11 , Joel Rhee 12 , Deme Karikios 13 14 , Nicole Kiss 15 , Lucy Leigh 16 17 , Lan Gao 1 , Drew Aras 18 , Anna Chapman 1 , Anna Ugalde 1
  1. Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
  2. Caring Futures Institute, College of Health and Enablement, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  3. ECORRA National Consumer Program, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
  4. Grampians Health, Ballarat, VIC, Australia, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
  5. Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences and Melbourne School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  6. Human Performance Research Centre, INSIGHT Research Institute, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  7. Cancer and Palliative Outcomes Centre, School of Nursing, , Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  8. Exercise Medicine Research Institute, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  9. Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
  10. IIMPACT in Health, Department of Rural Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  11. Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  12. Discipline of General Practice, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  13. Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  14. Department of Medical Oncology, Nepean Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  15. Deakin Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
  16. Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
  17. School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
  18. Western Alliance, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia

Aims

People living in rural and remote Australia experience poorer cancer outcomes and less equitable access to best-practice cancer care than metropolitan counterparts. This study explored barriers and facilitators to accessing timely cancer diagnosis and treatment from the perspectives of people with cancer and family carers.

Methods

This qualitative study, informed by the Levesque framework, forms part of the Equitable Cancer Outcomes across Rural and Remote Australia (ECORRA) Trial. People diagnosed with cancer and carers supporting a family member through cancer diagnosis and/or treatment in rural and remote Australia were recruited through social media. Demographic data were collected via an online survey, and semi-structured interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams. Interviews were analysed deductively using the Levesque framework, with inductive analysis identifying unique experiences.

Results

Twenty-two interviews were completed with people diagnosed with cancer (n=18) and family carers (n=4). Most participants were female (n=20) and described care received across South Australia, Queensland, and Victoria. Delays concentrated in the diagnostic pathway were driven by prolonged general practitioner wait times, information gaps, delayed investigation following reassuring initial assessments, and limited local diagnostic services. Access to diagnosis and treatment was further constrained by distance, centralisation of specialist services, travel-related financial burden, and fragmented coordination across healthcare providers, services, and jurisdictions. Participants consistently described the need to self-advocate to navigate the health system. Key enablers included trusted relationships with healthcare providers, culturally safe care, effective communication and coordination among healthcare providers and services, outreach and locally delivered services, telehealth, travel and accommodation support, and care navigation.

Conclusions

Access to timely cancer diagnosis and treatment in rural and remote Australia is heavily influenced by the availability, affordability, appropriateness, and coordination of care. Strengthening care coordination, navigation support, information provision at diagnosis, and outreach and decentralised models of care may improve equitable access to cancer care.