About Solaris
Solaris Cancer Care is a community-based healthcare organisation. Our Cancer Support Centres are the first of their kind in Australia and offer support, information, education, and complementary therapies to cancer patients and their primary carers.
Solaris offers services that would otherwise need to be provided by the public health sector, including:
- Bringing together the best in modern medicine with evidence-based support services (therapies, education, wellness activities, support groups, and counselling).
- Responding to all cancers (the foremost service provider in WA to do so) and all stages of cancer journey – diagnosis, treatment, recovery, survivorship and palliative care, and now the impact of the COVID crisis on clients.
- Providing treatment and support to any public individual affected by cancer. Increasingly this service supports people in need even if not cancer impacted.
With 13,346 cancer diagnoses (2017), 4,142 people die from cancer each year in WA. Sadly that means 3 in every 10 deaths are from cancer each year and 29% of our population are living a cancer journey at any one time.
Our role has never been more important and sadly it continues to grow year on year.
Guided by evidence-based medical care and aligned with Government policy
Solaris Cancer Care works under the medical directorship of Professor David Joske, Director of Medical Engagement and Clinical Haematologist, Department of Haematology SCGH; Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of WA; Board Chairman, Solaris Cancer Care; W.A. Cancer & Palliative Care Network Survivor Collaborative Clinical Lead.
In addition to Prof Joske, Solaris is also supported and guided by fellow Board Member, Dr Rebecca Howman, Clinical Haematologist Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
Solaris services align with the WA Department of Health (DoH) ‘Model of Cancer Care’ which articulates need for supportive care throughout the cancer experience, including beyond treatment phases into survivorship.
Solaris services align with DoH’s Mental Health Unit (MHU) whereby we deliver evidence-based, patient centred, caring, safe, respectful mental health support for cancer patients.
Volunteers service providers include health service professionals, psychologists, and social workers who provide supportive care interventions to cancer patients, their families and carers.
We actively build knowledge through research to provide evidence-based care to cancer patients.
Our research shows our users’ psychological scores improve roughly 8% per session – reducing stress, anxiety and depression and resulting in increased empowerment.
In line with Department of Health’s policy to provide evidence-based care, we build knowledge through research and have published 26 peer reviewed research papers.
Our collaborative research team has membership from all WA Universities, WA Psycho Oncology Service and collaborates with Cancer Council WA to conduct research and develop appropriate patient safety protocols within the growing environment of wellness in cancer care.
We have three centres operating across Western Australia
Find a Support Centre near you
Our Vision
Solaris Cancer Care is to be recognised as the leaders in providing proven quality of life care for cancer patients and their carers.
Our Values
Care: To always help and comfort others in a supportive environment is essential to the physical and psychological well being of all individuals.
Empowerment: Creating strength through knowledge and support.
Compassion: Be empathetic to others who seek comfort to alleviate the pain and distress of cancer.
Respect: We will act in a respectful manner to all who associate with us.
Community: Working together to achieve our common goals.
Our Mission
In a nurturing environment provide access to:
- safe and supervised complementary therapies
- a reliable information service
- qualitative and quantitative research support and personalised care through our highly skilled volunteer and staff network whilst embracing mainstream medical treatments
We will achieve this with the continued support of our key stakeholders, sponsors, donors and supporters.