Cancer care and lessons learned from the pandemic

A new study by The University of Sydney and Duke University in the United States has found that people living with cancer suffered considerable stress during the pandemic due to strict rules preventing a family member, support person or ‘informal caregiver’ from attending appointments and treatments. Experts now say we need to ensure all patients have access to a carer or support person. “We need to plan for the next pandemic and make sure that informal carers are not left out in the cold by infection prevention measures,” says Professor Alex Broom of the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies.