Introduction
A strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer workforce is essential to achieving equity in cancer outcomes. First Nations leadership, targeted investment and coordinated action are needed to increase participation, retention and progression across cancer care.
Aim
To identify priority opportunities for the cancer care sector to strengthen pathways and supports to grow and sustain the First Nations cancer workforce.
Methods
The Australian Cancer Plan, developed with First Nations leadership and guidance, provides a 10-year equity-focused national reform framework. It outlines a staged approach to strengthen the First Nations multidisciplinary workforce across cancer care, starting with identifying priority workforce needs.
Cancer Australia, in its national convening role, brought together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, workforce peak bodies, clinicians, educators, researchers and policymakers at a national roundtable in July 2026, to discuss both national and sector-specific priorities.
Results
The roundtable highlighted the need to move beyond broad workforce growth towards coordinated, cancer-specific strategies. Priority opportunities included earlier exposure to cancer careers through placements and cadetships, culturally safe mentoring and wraparound supports, interprofessional learning, leveraging full scopes of practice, and stronger connections across clinical, community, policy and research sectors.
Participants emphasised Indigenous Data Sovereignty and improved workforce evidence, while noting that action should not wait for perfect data. Workforce success was framed through capability, trust, belonging, cultural safety, community benefit and visible role models for future generations, not workforce numbers alone.
Conclusion
Sustained system-wide collaboration is critical to addressing structural workforce challenges in cancer care and translating policy intent into action. Embedding First Nations leadership, strengthening culturally safe pathways and supports, and improving workforce evidence will help build and retain an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer workforce essential to responsive, high-quality care.