A diagnosis of cancer is no longer a deah sentence, however New Zealand’s cancer mortality rate is higher than many other comparable countries including Australia, Canada and Norway. We have one of the highest mortality rates of bowel cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, and melanoma.

Our death rate from melanoma is one of the highest in the world – similar to that of Queensland. Over half of our population eats less than the recommended amounts of fruit and one third eat less than the recommended amount of vegetables. Today, cancer is the cause of 27 per cent of all deaths in New Zealand.

The team at the Hawkes Bay Cancer Society’s Cancer Support Centre have to be flexible and versatile, says centre manager Gavin Scoble.
“We are just a small crew and have to pitch in at various time to help each other depending what’s on,� he says. “We also have a team of volunteers who help in various ways including at Daffodil Day and with other special events and activities.�

Support services co-ordinator Debbi Scott has the most direct involvement with patients and their families offering support and advice. She interacts with people at the society’s Cancer Support Centre in Hastings, on home visits and on the telephone.

Often it is a listening ear. “Sometimes patients are happier to talk with someone who is not a family member rather than their loved ones,� she says. She also provides advice and advocates on behalf of patients on occasions.

“I advise them where they can go to get specific services, what entitlements they may be eligible for, help them with questions to ask their doctor, that sort of thing.�
Twice a year she co-ordinates Living With Cancer education courses and oversees the Centre’s cancer information resources, including books and videos.

Debbi oversees the pool of loan equipment which is available free of charge to cancer patients and those caring for them, and is also volunteer co-ordinator.
Margot Oakley laughs when asked to describe what she does as her job is a bit of everything.

She is the first point of contact for callers on the phones or at reception, Daffodil Day Co-ordinator, shares centre administration and supports Gavin and Debbi as the need arises. In between that she provides a mastectomy fitting service where women who have had a mastectomy (the surgical removal of a breast) come to have a prosthesis or bra fitted.

It is part of her work she enjoys. “It’s fulfilling because I feel I’m making them look good and feel good about themselves.�
Margot and Debbi also make arrangements for regular Look Good Feel Better workshops at the Centre, which give skin care, make-up and hair care advice to women who have had chemotherapy, radiotherapy and operations.
As centre manager Gavin says his job is a varied and challenging one, “not without some stress, but very rewarding as well�.

“I’m responsible for the overall management and administration of the centre day-to-day, reporting regularly to the society president and executive committee. I’m also the one primarily responsible for fundraising, publicity, profile raising and so on.

“I get to find the money to pay the bills so I have a very clear understanding of how important our various supporters are to us. We receive no government funding apart from a contract that partly funds the shuttle service so fundraising is an important part of my role,� Gavin says.

Cancer Control:
There is no nationally co-ordinated approach to Cancer Control in New Zealand – even though many agencies have an interest in the disease, however the Cancer Society is committed to a national strategy for the reduction of the impact of cancer.

The daffodil symbolises this hope and joy and helps motivate New Zealanders to be part of this exciting era where Cancer research is at an exciting point in our history. The new horizon holds many promising discoveries in the areas of prevention, treatment and cure.

The pain and suffering which were once inevitable in cases of terminal cancer are now minimised. News media reports often tell of groundbreaking developments in cancer research, which opens up exciting new frontiers, particularly in the study of the genetic causes of cancer.
Survival rates for all cancers are improving, with existing treatments leading to a cure for 40 per cent of those suffering from cancer.

The situation for children and young people is especially impressive, with 80 to 90 per cent of young patients surviving tumours that would have been fatal if left untreated.

Slow but steady improvements in cancer treatment mean these percentages are increasing all the time and many more lives will continue to be saved in the future. Even those children and adults with incurable cancers are living longer, with better quality of life.