Yarning about Cancer - Our Cancer Conversations

What is ‘Yarning about Cancer’?

Cancer Voices SA launched this initiative in 2009 as part of the global ‘Go Public’ Campaign to Control Cancer. These conversations provide a safe space for people to share their experiences, insights, and challenges related to cancer.

Our Approach

• Community-led conversations – Small group discussions, from 6 to 50 people, led by volunteers.
• Open dialogue – Encourages honest discussions about treatment, survivorship, stigma, and support gaps.
• Cultural inclusion – Inspired by Aboriginal participants, we developed a ‘Yarning about Cancer’ toolkit to support conversations in Aboriginal communities.

Read the full report here.

Key Questions We Explore

• What inspired you during your cancer journey?
• What was most difficult?
• What aspects of the health system worked well?
• What needs improvement?
• How can individuals, communities, and governments take action?

What We Learned

• Cancer Conversations work – They engage people worldwide, from developed to developing nations.
• They generate ideas AND action – Awareness, education, and advocacy grow from shared experiences.
• Personal experience drives engagement – People take action when cancer affects them or their loved ones.

Our Goals

• Raise awareness – Up to one-third of cancers could be cured with early detection and treatment.
• End cancer stigma – Shift the focus from ‘cancer victims’ to cancer survivors.
• Drive collaboration – Work with individuals, organizations, and governments to reduce the global cancer burden.

Real Voices from Cancer Conversations

• “I survived ‘terminal’ cancer, but the financial impact nearly killed me.”
• “I expected surgery to cure me. Instead, I had to learn how to live with cancer.”
• “Why is finding information so hard when you’re already struggling with treatment?”
• “The emotional impact of survivorship hit me harder than the treatment itself.”
• “There are too many gaps and duplications in the cancer support system.”