Dispelling cancer myths essential for children when cancer hits home

With three quarters of school children believing you can catch cancer, according to Camp Quality’s national Cancer Education Program, the urgent need for early education on the disease is clear.  

Camp Quality CEO Deborah Thomas says that dispelling cancer myths and supporting the mental health and well-being of affected children and communities, is crucial to building resilience and better long-term outcomes for individuals and families.

“Living with cancer is traumatising enough, but for young children, whether it is their own diagnosis or that of a family member, they often face unfair stigmas from others who don’t understand what they’re going through. Bullying due to visible symptoms, and misconceptions like the belief that cancer is contagious, can greatly amplify their trauma,” says Deborah.

“This plays a large role in the fact that 19% of childhood cancer survivors lack close friendships compared to 8% of their healthy peers.”

Camp Quality’s Cancer Education Program is seeking to address this issue by bringing fun, and importantly, engaging and age-appropriate education about cancer to young audiences.

The program takes the form of puppet shows for children aged 3-12 years, visiting schools and early learning centres around the country to build inclusive communities for all children, whether they are dealing with their own diagnosis or that of a sibling, parent, or carer. A key focus for the program is ensuring it reaches regional and remote communities, where we know that people struggle to access the cancer support services they need.

Camp Quality’s program is supported by a suite of educational resources for teachers that is aligned with the Australian Curriculum, Early Learning Framework, and state-based curriculums, and is designed to ensure that the important conversations sparked by the puppet shows continue long after the performance is over.

Beyond the psychological and social challenges faced by children impacted by cancer, the burden on the healthcare and social care sectors continues to grow. The latest research shows around 800 children aged under 14 are diagnosed with cancer every year, and over 16,000 in that age group are impacted by the diagnosis of a parent or primary carer, with the Cancer Council reporting that 1 in 2 Australians will be diagnosed by the age of 85. 

Research conducted by KPMG revealed Camp Quality’s Cancer Education Program saved Australians $4.6 million dollars in mental health treatment costs over a two-year period.

“It’s been proven that better early education can improve mental health and reduce bullying and absenteeism among children with cancer, and those with a parent or carer affected by cancer.”

“While we sadly can’t eliminate cancer from these children’s lives, making sure their friends and classmates know how to act appropriately and support them through hard times is absolutely essential,” said Deborah Thomas.

More information about the Cancer Education Program can be found here.