Keynote Striving for Relevance: Psycho-oncology, Curve Balls and Saving the Pitch Psycho-oncology, or the psychology of cancer emerged as a defined entity in the early to mid-1980s and has become a profile area of specialisation for psychologists. Common elements include: the application of behavioural, psychological and social research to improve outcomes for cancer patients through cancer prevention and early detection; improving adherence to treatment and improving symptom control; improving psychological and quality of life outcomes for cancer patients and their families across the illness continuum. However, challenges facing both practitioners and researchers include dramatic increases in the chronic disease burden parallel with fiscal constraints; competition for resources with biomedicine and ‘sexy’ science ; fallout from the replication crisis and demands for an end to ‘therapy competitions’; and calls for evidence of measurable social benefit. To survive in this context psycho-oncology practice and research will need to adopt innovative and disruptive strategies while still expressing and enacting the values and epistemology of psychological practice. The integration of community agents alongside a willingness to consider alternative views and approaches will be imperative. This presentation will raise the questions about sustainable and targeted practice into the future and the challenges ahead.
Professor Suzanne Chambers is a health psychologist and has worked as a practitioner and researcher in psychological support for people with cancer for over 25 years. She is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow and the Menzies Foundation Professor of Allied Health Research in the Menzies Health Institute Queensland at Griffith University. She has published extensively on the psychological effects of cancer in internationally leading journals and is currently leading large scale randomised control trials of psychological interventions that address sexuality, lifestyle and unmet supportive care needs, and psychological distress in men with prostate cancer as well as other high need cancer patient groups. Prof Chambers has over 180 peer reviewed publications, chapters and reports; and has been a chief investigator on successful research grants valued at over $26.5 million including National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Cancer Australia, Beyond Blue and Cancer Council Queensland
