Australian Rare Cancer Portal

14/09/2026

With the establishment of the Health Translation Queensland as an NHMRC Advanced Health research and translation centre, the 13th Annual Brisbane Cancer Conference is an opportunity to draw together cancer researchers in Brisbane and Queensland to advance collaborative efforts in cancer treatment and research.

The Brisbane Cancer Conference comprises plenary lectures and workshops on recent scientific, technological, nursing and medical advances in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant disease.

Reinforcing and establishing new relationships between researchers in Brisbane and Queensland, the Conference is an important annual event on the Queensland conference calendar.

The symposium Gala Dinner will be held on Thursday evening offering the opportunity to socialise with colleagues, patient advocates and consumers from other institutions, the City and Queensland.

* Members of the ARC Portal team will be attending the conference and welcome any questions about how the ARC Portal can assist Queensland clinicians who have rare cancer patients. *

Dates: Thursday, 26th November to Friday, 27th November 2026
Venue: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Register: https://www.brisbanecancer.org.au/

11/09/2026

The Australian Rare Cancer (ARC) Portal was established to help clinicians with rare cancer patients access the specialised, expert support they need, anywhere in Australia, at no cost.

It’s a conversation that is ongoing and one we want to highlight, so we’re pleased to share that ARC Portal’s Senior Research Fellow, Dr Chloe Georgiou, is chairing the online forum “Connecting care: Rare cancers and regional Australia” on 22 October, 2026.

This event will explore the issues faced by rare cancer patients and their clinicians. Drawing on findings from Rare Cancers Australia's Lived Experience Survey, this forum explores disparities in access, highlights the role of consumer-led advocacy in driving change, and showcases practical solutions including telehealth supportive care, the Australian Rare Cancer (ARC) Portal, and partnerships with local health professionals and communities.

Topics covered will include:
• Presentation of Rare Cancers Australia Lived Experience survey results
• Rare Cancers Australia, Specialist Cancer Navigator as an example of consumer-led change
• Access to the ARC Portal, RCA Knowledgebase and Medicines Access Portal
• Telehealth supportive care models
• Delays to diagnosis and referral to supportive care
• Working with community

Details:

Date: Thursday 22 October, 2026
Time: 12.30–2.00PM AEST
Venue: Online
Register:

Regional and rural Australians living with a rare or less common cancer face unique barriers to diagnosis, treatment and supportive care. Drawing on findings from Rare Cancers Australia's Lived Experience Survey, this forum explores disparities in access, highlights the role of consumer-led advocacy...

09/09/2026

Thank you to Rare Cancers Australia for bringing the community together at CanForum26. We value opportunities to connect, collaborate and continue building better pathways to expert care for people living with rare cancers.

02/09/2026

In 2025 in collaboration with our long-term partner Rare Cancers Australia, ARC Portal received Australian Government funding of $6.7 million to enable our free rare cancer referral service to operate for another 4 years.

As part of the new funding, we’re excited about continuing our partnership with Rare Cancers Australia and our new partnership with Cancer Alliance Queensland and others, which will make it even easier for oncologists throughout Queensland to access ARC Portal by piloting initiatives such as integration of ARC Portal with QOOL, Queensland’s statewide cancer data system.

Since the announcement, we have been busy assembling our team so that we can get back to ‘business as usual’. We now have our full team recruited, so we’re pleased to advise that we are now able to process all referrals within normal timeframes.

Read more: https://www.arcportal.org.au/ready-for-referrals

02/09/2026

February 2025

ARC Portal’s critical role in rare cancer treatment confirmed by Federal Government’s $6.7 million commitment.

The ARC Portal team welcomes the Federal Government’s commitment of $6.7 million in funding to the ARC Portal initiative over the next four years, ensuring life-saving access to specialist care for Australians living with rare cancers, especially those in rural and regional areas.

Read more: https://www.arcportal.org.au/arc-portal-6.7-million-funding-boost

24/07/2024

MOGA will be hosting its 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting 🗓️ August 14th – 16th 2024 📍 International Convention Centre, Sydney. Find out more - arcportal.org.au/news/moga-2024

22/07/2024

The ARC Portal is pleased to support Rare Cancers Australia (RCA) at CanForum 2024, the largest patient-focused cancer forum in the Asia-Pacific region. 🗓️ Tuesday 20th August 2024 📍In person and online
Find out more - arcportal.org.au/news/canforum-2024

25/01/2024

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Board (PBAC) survey submissions are closing soon. If you have experience with ATEZOLIZUMAB, CABOZANTINIB or CETUXIMAB, you may wish to consider completing the survey. Find out more - https://loom.ly/TyImaKQ

24/01/2024

The ARC Portal is thrilled to announce that we have a new Fellow Dr Cassie Turner with us to help assist with all your rare cancer requests.

Dr Cassie Turner is a medical oncologist currently practicing at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital in Queensland. Her clinical interests include breast, gynaecological, thoracic and brain cancers. She earned her medical degree from the University of Queensland and complementing her medical qualifications, she holds a Masters in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Sydney.

Learn more about Dr Turner - https://loom.ly/imUlSZw