Last week, the Lancet Oncology Commission released its report, The Human Crisis in Cancer, calling for a radical shift in how we care for people affected by cancer. The report highlights a truth we’ve known for decades: emotional, social and psychological support must be central to cancer care, not treated as an afterthought.

This Christmas, Canteen is calling on Australians to help raise $332,716 to ensure that no young person impacted by cancer faces the festive season alone.

For many young people, Christmas can be a painful reminder of what cancer has taken away - whether it’s a parent, sibling, or their own sense of normalcy. That’s why Canteen is launching its annual Christmas Appeal, inviting supporters to donate and help fund vital cancer support services.

Canteen’s Double Day appeal ran from August 20 - 24, rallying supporters around a simple but powerful objective: to fund life-saving counselling sessions for young people impacted by cancer. 

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of more than 1200 donors, the campaign raised over $109,000, funding more than 950 free counselling sessions for teenagers and young adults navigating the emotional toll of cancer. 

In July, Canteen brought together 83 young cancer patients and survivors from across the country for the fourth annual National Youth Cancer Consumer Forum.

The Forum program, designed by young cancer patients and survivors, focused on leadership development, public speaking and advocacy coaching, and peer connection. 

When cancer crashes into a young person’s world, the impact extends to every aspect of their life. Cancer treatment or caring for family members with cancer can cause significant disruptions to young people’s education or career which in turn have potentially long-lasting impacts on their social and emotional wellbeing.  

Canteen began offering the Education and Career Service (ECS) in 2020, initially focusing on keeping young cancer patients connected to study and work. 

I’m delighted to announce the appointment of Siona Hardy as the next Chief Executive Officer of Canteen Australia.

Siona has comprehensive experience in health care leadership, operational management and strategy across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. We have seen her ability to inspire large teams to deliver gold standard care firsthand, with Siona already making an enormous impact in her tenure with Canteen and the cancer centres we partner with. 

In March 2025, Canteen launched the first-ever Five Peaks Virtual Challenge, inspiring people across Australia to move with purpose and conquer virtual peaks in support of the 23,000 young Aussies who face the mountain that is cancer each year. 

Whether facing their own cancer diagnosis, or dealing with a loved one’s cancer journey, climbing that peak means feeling isolated, lost, exhausted, and confused. It’s terrifying, and no one should face it alone. 

Canteen Australia calls for $11.9 million youth cancer survivorship study during inaugural Youth Cancer Awareness Month

Canteen is urging the Federal Government to allocate $11.9 million for a pioneering project to research the full extent of youth cancer’s long-term impact on survivors as well as its implications for the broader economy in the charity’s inaugural Youth Cance

For young people in the Northern Territory who are impacted by cancer, access to the right support can make all the difference. Thanks to a generous $80,000 commitment from The Lottery Office, more young people will now have a dedicated counsellor to guide them through one of the toughest times in their lives. 

Navigating a cancer diagnosis is challenging enough without the added barrier of language. For young people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, language differences can lead to isolation, confusion, and delays in accessing the right care. Recognising this, Canteen has taken an important step towards ensuring that young people facing cancer can access vital information in their preferred language.