News updates for CALD communities in NSW
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Cancer Institute NSW
Multicultural Program Updates
Hello!
Welcome to the second edition of the Multicultural Program Update for 2025, brought to you by the Cancer Institute NSW!
Cancer Institute NSW is the state government organisation working to reduce the impact of cancer in the community.
In this e-newsletter, we bring you the latest insights on cancer prevention, screening, care, and research, with a special focus on issues that matter to multicultural communities across NSW.
Feel free to share this update with your colleagues and community members - it's a great way to keep everyone informed! Anyone interested can also join our mailing list by emailing the multicultural team.
Looking for past editions? You can find them here.
We’d also love to hear from you! If there's something you'd like to learn more about, or if you have feedback on this edition, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Your input is always welcome!
Free National Lung Cancer Screening Program launched
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in NSW. In a major milestone in lung cancer control, the National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) commenced on July 1.
This national initiative, led by the Commonwealth Government, offers free screening for eligible individuals. The first new cancer screening program in 20 years, it is expected to save around 500 lives each year by detecting lung cancer early – before symptoms appear.
Often a silent disease, many people are diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, when treatment options are limited. The NLCSP uses low-dose CT scans to detect lung cancer early in asymptomatic, high-risk individuals.
You may be eligible if you:
- Are 50 to 70 years old
- Have no current symptoms of lung cancer
- Are a current smoker or quit in the past 10 years
- Have a smoking history of at least 30 pack-years
This is a life-saving opportunity:
NSW Chief Cancer Officer and Chief Executive of the Institute, Professor Tracey O’Brien AM, urges those who are eligible to talk to their GP.
“Lung cancer is often diagnosed too late. This program offers a chance to detect it early and save lives,” Professor O’Brien AM said.
If you currently smoke or have smoked, check your eligibility with your healthcare provider.
Want to know more?
Resources are also being translated into 21 languages to support broader community access.
Translated languages include:
Arabic, Assyrian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Dari, Greek, Hazaragi, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Khmer, Korean, Macedonian, Nepali, Persian (Farsi), Punjabi, Serbian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
For help to quit smoking, visit iCanQuit.com.au or call Quitline on 13 7848.
Free National Lung Cancer Screening Program launched this July
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in NSW. In a major milestone in lung cancer control, the National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) commenced on July 1.
This national initiative, led by the Commonwealth Government, offers free screening for eligible individuals. The first new cancer screening program in 20 years, it is expected to save around 500 lives each year by detecting lung cancer early – before symptoms appear.
Often a silent disease, many people are diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, when treatment options are limited. The NLCSP uses low-dose CT scans to detect lung cancer early in asymptomatic, high-risk individuals.
You may be eligible if you:
- are 50 to 70 years old
- have no current symptoms of lung cancer
- are a current smoker or quit in the past 10 years
- have a smoking history of at least 30 pack-years
This is a life-saving opportunity:
NSW Chief Cancer Officer and Chief Executive of the Institute, Professor Tracey O’Brien AM, urges those who are eligible to talk to their GP.
“Lung cancer is often diagnosed too late. This program offers a chance to detect it early and save lives,” Professor O’Brien AM said.
If you currently smoke or have smoked, check your eligibility with your healthcare provider.
Want to know more?
Resources are also being translated into 21 languages to support broader community access.
Translated languages include:
Arabic, Assyrian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Dari, Greek, Hazaragi, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Khmer, Korean, Macedonian, Nepali, Persian (Farsi), Punjabi, Serbian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
For help to quit smoking, visit iCanQuit.com.au or call Quitline on 13 7848.
What have we been up to?
- Multicultural Program has attended, hosted, and supported 23 separate events across regional NSW and metropolitan Sydney. These ranged from information booths at community events to small and large group training workshops - directly reaching over 2000 community members.
- The Program has collaborated with 20 unique partners, both internal and external, to co-create and provide culturally responsive cancer education for priority culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.
Vania delivering an education session on cancer screening and prevention to a mixed Arabic community group in the Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD.
Multilingual Resources
Cancer Institute NSW translated cancer resources for multicultural communities
This webpage brings all of the Institute’s multilingual resources together in one place. Here you can access information and resources in 43 languages on cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and clinical trials. The webpage also includes a number of resources from the Australian Government.
The Institute has launched a suite of in-language resources on cervical screening during pregnancy, aiming to raise awareness among CALD communities. These resources, including factsheets, audio recordings, and web content, are available in over 20 languages—Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Cantonese, Dari, English, Farsi, Gujarati, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Nepali, Portuguese, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese, to support informed decision-making during antenatal care.
Additionally, the Patient Reported Measures program has developed new fact sheets in Macedonian and Maltese to better reflect community needs. These efforts highlight the Institute’s commitment to equity by ensuring CALD communities can access and engage with cancer care programs in their own language.
A Men’s Guide to Preventing Cancer – Now in Arabic:
Did you know men are more likely than women to be diagnosed with cancer? Many men take a ‘fix it when it’s broken’ approach to health, putting off checks and screening until symptoms appear.
To help shift this mindset, we’ve developed a practical, culturally inclusive resource: ‘A Men’s Guide to Preventing Cancer and Living Healthy’. It is now available in Arabic.
This easy-to-follow checklist offers simple, proactive steps men can take to reduce their cancer risk and find cancer early, when treatment is most effective.
Help spread the word! Share the resource with Arabic-speaking men in your community.
Upcoming Events
More than 600 delegates are set to attend the inaugural NSW Cancer Summit
Hosted on 13–14 August at ICC Sydney, the Summit will showcase innovation in cancer prevention, treatment, and care. It will bring together researchers, clinicians, consumers, policymakers, and industry leaders to drive progress and collaboration. Online streaming will be available, ensuring broader access to this landmark event.
Visit the Institute website for the list of speakers and more.
NSW Multicultural Health Week 2025 runs from 1–7 September with the theme ‘Older People Are the Heart of the Family and Community.’
It celebrates the vital role older people from multicultural backgrounds play, while also promoting healthy ageing. With 75 per cent of cancers diagnosed in people aged 60+ and many speaking a language other than English, the campaign highlights staying active, eating well, regular check-ups, and social connection.
Activities include launch at NSW Parliament House, in-language workshops, community events, and a Small Grants Program. Everyone is encouraged to get involved and support older multicultural community members.
New publications and reports
New Publications and Reports:
1. Pal, A., Smith, B., Allan, C., Karikios, D., & Boyle, F. (2023). Improving access to cancer clinical trials for patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia: a survey of clinical and research professionals. JCO Oncology Practice, 19(11), 1039-1047.
2. Jamal, J., MacMillan, F., & McBride, K. A. (2021). Barriers and facilitators of breast cancer screening amongst culturally and linguistically diverse women in South western Sydney: a qualitative explorative study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(17), 9129.
Clinical trials:
1. Long, G. V., Scolyer, R. A., & Whittle, J. R. (2025). A world-first experimental cancer treatment paves the way for a clinical trial. Nature Medicine.
2. Childs, S., Nindra, U., Shivasabesan, G., Yoon, R., Haider, S., Hong, M., ... & Pal, A. (2025). Social Characteristics of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Cancer Patients Enrolled in Early Phase Clinical Trials in Southwestern Sydney. Oncology, 103(3), 219-226.
Cancer treatment:
1. Hsu CY, Pallathadka H, Jasim SA, Rizaev J, Olegovich Bokov D, Hjazi A, Mahajan S, Mustafa YF, Husseen B, Jawad MA. Innovations in cancer immunotherapy: A comprehensive overview of recent breakthroughs and future directions. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2025 Feb;206:104588.
2. Kim, J., Maharjan, R., & Park, J. (2024). Current trends and innovative approaches in cancer immunotherapy. AAPS PharmSciTech, 25(6), 168.
We encourage you to share the e-news with interested colleagues and community; they can also sign up to the mailing list by emailing the multicultural team. You can also find past editions here.
This email was brought to you from Cammeryagal country
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which the Cancer Institute NSW offices reside on, the Cammeraygal (Gammaraygal) people.
We pay our respect to these Elders past and present. We also acknowledge the strength and identity of all Aboriginal people.
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