Since 2019, funds raised through Dry July have supported Cancer Council’s vital 13 11 20 Information and Support line. When users call the 13 11 20 Information and Support Line, they can talk to a health professional and get the support they need.

It’s free, confidential, and available for anyone affected by cancer who has a question – those diagnosed as well as their family, friends, and carers.

As part of the service, the help provided includes:

• explaining what cancer is and what will happen during treatment

• giving tips for managing common side effects

• discussing treatment options

• Helping people find their way around the health system

• provide counselling support

• Helping carers of someone with cancer and looking after their wellbeing

• providing financial counselling to help people manage the cost of cancer

• match people with volunteers with a similar cancer experience to talk to and much more

In 2024, the 13 11 20 service responded to 39,630 requests for cancer information and support, assisting a total of 25,322 people nationally.

Each year, thousands of users are grateful for this vital service. Some examples of their feedback are included below:

From people with cancer

‘Thank you for absolutely everything you’ve done and organised for me. I am absolutely blown away by your incredible support and professionalism, and I am so, so grateful. I am looking forward to the counselling appointment. Cancer Council are very lucky to have you, as are the countless patients you no doubt speak to regularly.’

‘Thank you so much for the chat and the detailed information you have sent us. I only ever hear good things about Cancer Council Victoria and after experiencing this firsthand with yourself I can see why. Thank you.’

‘I'm just writing to thank you for the extraordinary cancer support service you provide, and that has helped me enormously. After a recent head/neck cancer diagnosis and much related stress and sleepless nights, I reached out to the support service. Ordinarily this is something it would never occur to me to do. I had many questions and concerns. After a (at times emotional) conversation with 13 11 20, when the call ended, all my distress and concerns had evaporated. It was the most extraordinary thing, and something I had never experienced before. It was nothing specific that they said, but it was everything they said, unpatronising and enlightening. It was also partly the fact that someone was there. However I could never have imagined such an immediate and satisfying result. I have had further conversations with 13 11 20 and the support from your service has continued to be invaluable to me.’

‘The assistance I received has made a significant impact on my life. When I spoke with Cancer Council, they connected me to the advice I needed. They helped me prepare all the official documents I needed and helped me navigate the medical bills to reach out to my bank to talk about my mortgage’.

From carers, family and friends

‘Thank you so much ...... for your call this morning, your tenderness, care and concern has brought much needed calmness to me. I haven't thought much about my self-care as my main concern has been for my parents coming to terms with transitioning into aged care, their loss of their home and the diagnosis and everything else associated with that. So I am very grateful to you and Cancer Council Victoria for the services you provide and the exceptional care I have received from you ....... Thank you so much.’

‘My good friend who has stage 4 breast cancer rang 13 11 20 a few times. She had such a great experience talking to a few 13 11 20 nurses and found the experience valuable and comforting. She mentioned how much better she felt after speaking with the nurses.’

‘Thank you for your time yesterday over the phone and for your time in collating all this information. I wanted to let you know how vital it was for us to have someone over the phone who was considerate, composed and caring. It really made all the difference. This information is abundant, and we will sort through it carefully. We are so very lucky to have your organisation here for us. Incredibly grateful xx’

From healthcare professionals

‘Thank you so much for your quick response and follow up with our patient. Really appreciated we love your work!’