No longer invisible. Addressing the unique challenges of metastatic cancer survivorship

The Oncology Podcast

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Welcome to the latest Series of Supportive Care Matters, a podcast hosted by Medical Oncologist and International Cancer Survivorship Expert, Professor Bogda Koczwara AM.

The landscape of cancer survivorship is evolving before our eyes. As treatment advances allow people with metastatic cancer to live longer, we're witnessing the emergence of a population that exists in what medical oncologist Dr Lori Spoozak calls "the place in between" – not curable but not actively dying.
In this eye-opening conversation, researchers Associate Professor Nick Hart and Dr. Andrea Smith (who herself lives with metastatic breast cancer) explore the unique challenges faced by those living with advanced cancer. While survivorship programs have traditionally focused on post-treatment care, metastatic patients are typically on treatment for life, navigating constant healthcare interactions, accumulating side effects and facing the certainty rather than just the fear of disease progression.
The discussion reveals how metastatic cancer patients have often fallen through the cracks – excluded from survivorship programs yet not appropriately served by palliative care services that focus primarily on end-of-life needs. This growing population faces what Dr. Smith describes as supportive care needs "on steroids" – intensified physical, psychological, financial and practical challenges that require specialised approaches.
Hart and Smith share their ground-breaking work developing the first international standards for metastatic cancer survivorship care, now translated into 14 languages to guide implementation worldwide. They emphasise that improving care requires action on multiple fronts: better education for healthcare professionals, redesigned care models, dedicated peer support programs and recognition that survivorship care is everyone's responsibility rather than the domain of any single provider.
Whether you're a healthcare professional, researcher, patient advocate or someone living with cancer, this conversation challenges conventional thinking about survivorship and offers a compelling vision for more inclusive, responsive care. Discover why supporting those living for years with incurable cancer represents both an urgent challenge and a tremendous opportunity to enhance quality of life for this overlooked population.
Visit www.oncologynews.com.au for show notes and more information about Supportive Care Matters.

This conversation is proudly produced by the Podcast Team at The Oncology Podcast, part of the Oncology Media Group Australia.

Chapters

1. Redefining Cancer Survivorship (00:00:00)

2. Unique Needs of Metastatic Cancer Patients (00:05:41)

3. Living in "The Place in Between" (00:09:21)

4. Redesigning Healthcare Models and Support (00:14:30)

5. International Standards for Metastatic Survivorship (00:21:49)

6. Global Challenges in Metastatic Care (00:31:01)

7. Future Directions and Research Priorities (00:35:03)