The Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation

One in 10 adolescent cancer survivors are affected by medical and psychosocial reproductive concerns which evolve through the survivorship period. Infertility is one of the most distressing adverse consequences of successful cancer treatment in cancer survivors of all ages. It affects the future quality of life of patients and leads to psychological distress, as well as being a predictor of stress in relationships. Various studies demonstrate that the opportunity to discuss reproductive concerns lowers psychological distress.

Oncofertility care in the survivorship period is not well integrated into standard care even though cancer survivors need reproductive care in many ways leading to a significant number of cancer patients not having fertility preservation at diagnosis or in survivorship. An effective solution to address this unmet need is a nurse-led reproductive clinic. The funds raised during Dry July 2021 will support a Clinical Nurse Consultant for the reproductive clinic providing patients of reproductive age with reliable information about the risk of reproductive harm and the potential options for fertility preservation.

Thanks to the fantastic efforts of Dry July 2020 participants, The Prince of Wales Hospital will be using funds to improve the wellbeing of people affected by cancer. 

This year, funds will be helping The Prince of Wales Hospital provide reproductive survivorship care for adolescents and young adults, as well as adult cancer patients. 

This wouldn't be possible without you Dry Julyers - you should be incredibly proud of your efforts. 

Angela Wales grew up the oldest of five children in Walcha NSW. Through her life she has worked around the world as a librarian (Cambridge, UK), field archaeological assistant (Greece) and travel consultant (London and the executive director of the Australian Writers Guild. She ultimately became Executive Director of the Writers Guild Foundation. The WGA West is one of the more powerful Hollywood unions, also representing writers working in film, television and other AV fields.

She retired from the Foundation and returned to Australia in late 2013 to help take care of her elderly mother. It was at this time she was diagnosed with breast cancer. While having her at chemotherapy at Prince of Wales Hospital - she decided that faced with the question of her mortality that she needed to document her own life if she didn't do it now she never would. Her book detailing her early life – Barefoot in the Bindis was published in 2018 becoming a best seller. She is a strong supporter of the care and service she received at Prince of Wales Hospital and the dedication of the staff who looked after her.  

“I am very excited to see the new Survivorship Centre for people like me and as a girl who grew up in the country I know the value of the virtual care supported by Dry July” 

Prince of Wales Hospital Cancer Survivorship Centre, housed in the beautifully restored Medical Superintendent’s Cottage was generously supported with funding from Dry July to the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation to provide fit out for waiting room areas and essential virtual care audio visual equipment.

The purpose of the Prince of Wales Hospital Cancer Survivorship Centre will be to optimise the health and wellbeing of people living with and beyond cancer by engaging all who are impacted by cancer as empowered partners, and integrating evidence-informed and evidence-generating care to deliver a patient-centred, coordinated, cost-effective, sustainable and innovative cancer survivorship program. The program will focus on prevention, surveillance for recurrence, monitoring and intervention for the physical and psychosocial effects of cancer and cancer treatment.

The centre was developed with funding from the State and Federal governments and the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation with Dry July funding, and the Sony Foundation and Nelune Foundation.

Professor Boon Chua, Director, Cancer and Haematology Services, Prince of Wales Hospital, said the centre will provide a patient-centred, innovative survivorship program – all the more essential now, due to the social and economic impact of the growing number of Australians being affected by cancer.

“Cancer survivors are at increased risk for serious long-term morbidity – physical, psychosocial and economic – for quite some time after diagnosis and treatment,” Professor Chua said.

“Our program will invest in the post-treatment care of those patients – and in training the next generation of clinicians and researchers to support an expanding population of cancer survivors" 

We're pleased to announce that Prince of Wales Hospital has received an additional grant from the Dry July Foundation October grant round.

This grant will enable the purchase of 4 recliner chairs and a painted mural to improve the surrounds to make the environment more aesthetic, safe, warm and comforting for the oncology patients accessing Nuclear Medicine at Prince of Wales Hospital.