What's on this page
1. Who we are
Cancer Connect is a national cancer navigation service, a support service established to ensure people affected by cancer have access to high quality, equitable and culturally safe information, support and navigation services, regardless of where they live in Australia.
Cancer Connect is a joint initiative led by Cancer Council Australia (CCA) and the Cancer Council Federation (CCF) members in each State and Territory:
- The Cancer Council NSW (ABN 51 116 463 846);
- Cancer Council Victoria (ABN 61 426 486 715);
- Cancer Council Queensland (ABN 48 321 126 727);
- Cancer Council Western Australia (Inc) (ABN 15 190 821 561); and
- Cancer Council South Australia (ABN 29 053 873 822);
- Cancer Council of Tasmania Inc (ABN 27 685 250 740);
- The Cancer Council ACT (ABN 33 113 296 601); and
- Cancer Council of the Northern Territory Incorporated (ABN 78 039 911 732).
In this Privacy Policy, references to 'we', 'us' and 'our' means the CCF.
Each CCF member is a separate legal entity with their own privacy policies available on their websites governing how they collect, use and disclose personal information generally.
2. Our Privacy Commitment
We are committed to protecting the Personal Information (including Sensitive Information) we collect and handle through Cancer Connect in accordance with this Privacy Policy, the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and applicable State and Territory health records legislation.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, disclose, and share your Personal Information in connection with the Cancer Connect service when you engage with us through Cancer Connect's:
- health professional referral form;
- call back request form;
- email; and
- 13 11 20 telephone support service.
This Privacy Policy also explains how you can access your Personal Information, request correction of your Personal Information and make a privacy related enquiry or complaint.
3. Collection of Personal Information
3.1 What is personal information?
Personal Information means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether true or not and whether recorded in material form or not.
Sensitive Information means Personal Information about a person's ethnicity, race, political opinions, religious beliefs, health information, political association memberships, philosophical beliefs, professional or trade association membership, sexual orientation or practices, or criminal record.
3.2 What types of personal and sensitive information do we collect?
To enable us to provide Cancer Connect services, we may collect the following Personal Information from you:
- full name;
- date of birth;
- location;
- email address;
- telephone number;
- demographic information; and
- other information you choose to provide to us.
We may also collect Sensitive Information from you, including:
- information about your health such as your current cancer diagnosis, past diagnoses, and treatment; and
- your ethnicity.
In some cases, you may also provide us with Personal or Sensitive Information about another person. If you do so, please ensure that you are authorised to provide that information and have obtained the person's consent where required.
3.3 Choosing not to share personal information with us
If you choose not to provide us with some or all of this Personal Information, we may not be able to provide you with our services, communicate with you, or otherwise carry out our functions and activities in relation to you.
3.4 Who do we collect personal information about?
We collect personal information about:
- people who receive or engage with Cancer Connect services, including people affected by cancer, their carers, support persons and family members;
- health care professionals who make referrals to our service; and
- other associated service providers.
3.5 How do we collect your personal information?
Where possible, we will collect your Personal Information directly from you. This may occur via telephone (for example, if you contact Cancer Connect via 13 11 20, or if you answer a survey or follow up call), or online (for example, if you engage with CancerConnect.com.au or complete a web enquiry).
We may also collect Personal Information about you from third parties, including:
- healthcare professionals, social workers and community workers who refer you to our service;
- CCF members in Cancer Connect, where you have previously received services from them directly; and
- your family members, carers or support persons, where they contact us on your behalf or provide
information to help us support you.
If we collect your Personal Information from a third party and it is unclear whether you have consented to that disclosure, we will take reasonable steps to contact you and notify you of the circumstances of the collection and the purposes for which your Personal Information was collected.
3.6 Why do we collect your personal information?
We may collect your Personal Information for the following purposes, as well as related purposes you would reasonably expect, including:
Service Delivery and Navigation - to provide you with cancer related information and support services, including to:
- respond to your enquiries;
- understand your individual needs and circumstances;
- connect you with Cancer Connect and CCF member services and programs;
- refer you to external support providers and health services; and
- coordinate your care and navigation pathways across services.
Service Improvement and Evaluation - to evaluate, monitor and improve the engagement with and quality of our services, including through service user feedback, and for quality assurance activities and reporting to our funders.
Data Sharing for Integrated Service Delivery - to enable an integrated support experience, coordinated national service delivery, and continuity of care if you move between States or Territories or are referred between Cancer Councils for specialist support.
Administration and Compliance - to verify your identity, maintain our records, comply with relevant laws and funding requirements, and respond to legal requests or claims.
3.7 Using a pseudonym or engaging with us anonymously
Where practicable, you may engage with us on an anonymous basis or using a pseudonym. However, if you elect to use a pseudonym or engage with us anonymously, we may not be able to offer you some services or provide you with information about some services.
3.8 Website usage information and cookies
When you access our website, we may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your browsing activity, including which pages you view, how long you stay, and how you navigate our site. Cookies identify your device, not you personally.
You may be able to manage your preferences for certain cookies and similar technologies through settings made available on the website. You can also manage or delete cookies through your browser settings. If you wish to restrict or block web browser cookies which are set on your device then you can do this through your browser settings.
We may gather your IP address as part of our business activities and to assist with any operational difficulties or support issues with our services. This information does not identify you personally.
We use Google Analytics and similar tools to understand how visitors use our website and to improve our content. These tools use cookies to collect information about your browsing activity. We also use pixel tracking, which indicates when your computer has visited pages on our websites where a pixel has been installed. As with cookies, this does not identify you personally, only the device you are using. You can opt out of Google Analytics by using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on or adjusting your Ad Settings.
Our website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites.
4. Disclosure of your Personal Information
We may disclose your Personal Information to others in order to carry out our activities. This may include disclosure to the following recipients:
- CCF members - Personal Information may be shared with CCA and the State and Territory Cancer Councils for the purpose of delivering integrated, national Cancer Connect support services.
- External support services - health care professionals, hospitals, allied health providers, social workers, lawyers, other professionals, counsellors, funders, co-ordinators, volunteers, service providers, agencies, community organisations and not-for-profits that provide support services to which we may refer you.
- Contractors and service providers - who help us operate Cancer Connect, as well as our other functions and activities, and perform services on our behalf, such as mailing houses, printers, information technology services providers, and database contractors.
- Government and funders - we may disclose de-identified or aggregated information to agencies and funders for reporting and evaluation purposes. Personal information will only be disclosed to government or funding bodies where required by law or our funding agreements, or with your consent.
- Emergency services - or other appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that disclosure is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to the life, health or safety of you or another person;
- Legal purposes - to our professional or legal advisers, courts, tribunals, regulators and law enforcement agencies, where required or authorised by law.
- With your consent - any other person or entity as set out at the time your Personal Information is collected, or with your consent.
Where required by law, we will seek your consent before disclosing your Personal Information.
5. Overseas Disclosures of your Personal Information
We will not disclose your Personal Information overseas without your consent. If we disclose your Personal Information overseas on the basis of your consent, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the overseas recipients do not breach the APPs, including through contractual arrangements.
6. Securing your Personal Information
We are committed to securing your Personal Information. We take appropriate security measures to protect your Personal Information from misuse, interference or loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. This includes the use of technologies and processes such as password-protected electronic databases, secure cloud hosting, encryption, offsite backups, and physical security measures to protect the privacy of your Personal Information.
Where Personal Information is stored with a third party, we have arrangements in place requiring those third parties to maintain the security of the information and handle it in accordance with privacy laws.
We will retain your Personal Information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law or our funding agreements. We will take reasonable steps to destroy or deidentify Personal Information once it is no longer needed for any purpose for which it may lawfully be used or disclosed.
7. Accessing and Correcting your Personal Information
We will, upon your request, and subject to applicable privacy laws, provide you with access to your Personal Information that is held by us. You may be required to put your request in writing for security reasons and we request that you identify, as clearly as possible, the type(s) of information requested. We will respond to your request within 30 days. For most requests, your information will be provided free of charge, however, we may charge you our reasonable costs incurred in supplying you with access to this information if your request requires a substantial effort on our part.
If we refuse to grant you access to or correct your Personal Information, we will provide you with reasons for that decision (unless it is unreasonable to do so).
We take reasonable steps to ensure that your Personal Information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date whenever we collect or use it. If the Personal Information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, irrelevant or out-of-date, please contact us and we will take reasonable steps to either correct this information, or if necessary, discuss alternative action with you.
8. How to Ask Questions or Make a Complaint
If you would like to access, correct or delete your Personal Information, withdraw your consent to our handling of your Personal Information, request that we do not contact you, make a privacy complaint, or have any questions or concerns about how we handle your Personal Information, please contact the Cancer Connect Privacy Officer at:
- Address: Cancer Connect Privacy Officer; Cancer Council Australia, GPO Box 4708, Sydney NSW 2001
- Telephone: + 61 2 8256 4100
- Email: privacy@cancer.org.au
We will respond to you within 30 days of receipt of a complaint related to Cancer Connect.
If you are not satisfied with our response or if we have not responded to you within 30 days, you may refer the matter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:
- Website: www.oaic.gov.au
- Telephone: 1300 363 992
- Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
9. Version control
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will take effect when posted on our website.
This Privacy Policy was last reviewed on 15 October 2026.