HANCA - A helpline for the Head and Neck Cancer Community

Our April meeting of the Victorian Head and Neck Cancer Support Group was a truly inspiring and informative gathering, with 23 members joining us—17 in person and 6 online. We were privileged to be joined by two special guests from Head and Neck Cancer Australia (HANCA) CEO Nadia Rosin and Simon, a counsellor from HANCA’s newly launched helpline.

With over 17,500 people currently living with head and neck cancer in Australia and around 5,000 new cases diagnosed each year, it was invaluable to hear how HANCA is working to support patients and their families across the country. As the only national charity solely focused on head and neck cancer, HANCA is a vital resource, providing comprehensive, evidence-based information and support.

Nadia and Simon introduced us to the many resources HANCA offers—including downloadable information sheets, nutrition videos, webinar series, and powerful stories from patients and carers. A particularly exciting development is the recent launch of Australia’s first dedicated Head and Neck Cancer Helpline (1300 424 848), which began operating in March 2025. This free and confidential service provides expert support and guidance for anyone affected by head and neck cancer—no matter where they are in Australia.

We also learned about HANCA’s ongoing advocacy for improved access to facial prosthetics, including a push for a $13 million federal commitment to establish an external facial prosthetics reimbursement program. This would be life-changing for many patients and is a cause we strongly support.

Finally, we were excited to hear about the upcoming inaugural HANCA Gala Fundraiser in Sydney on 1st November. The event will bring together 300 guests—including healthcare professionals, industry leaders and community members—to celebrate the progress being made and to honour individuals making an outstanding contribution to the head and neck cancer community through the launch of the first-ever Head and Neck Cancer Awards. You learn more about the gala here, including how to buy tickets.  HANCA is also looking for people to support the gala in any way they can.  For more information about how you can help make the gala a huge success please contact Nadia nadia@headandneckcancer.org.au or the Victorian Head and Neck Cancer Support Group vicheadandneckcancer@gmail.com.

It was a powerful meeting that left us feeling both supported and energised about the work being done at a national level. Our thanks to Nadia and Simon for joining us and for all that HANCA is doing to help improve outcomes for everyone affected by head and neck cancer.

We are looking forward to our May meeting where we will be joined by Peter Mac dietician and nutrition team.  You can register for that meeting here.