Trusted information and practical support, available free across Aotearoa
Gut Cancer Foundation is pleased to announce that our full range of My Care KITs are now available for people affected by upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including pancreatic, stomach, oesophageal, liver and biliary cancers.
A gut cancer diagnosis brings many challenges. Understanding medical information, preparing for appointments, considering treatment options and managing symptoms, nutrition and everyday life can all feel like a lot to navigate.
My Care KIT has been created to make that journey a little easier.
Designed for patients, whānau, carers and health professionals, each My Care KIT brings together trusted, practical information in one easy-to-use resource, available as a digital download or printed KIT with free shipping NZ-wide.
My Care KIT is part of Gut Cancer Foundation’s wider Upper GI Cancer Support Service, helping connect people affected by upper GI cancers with information, guidance and support when they need it.
Knowledge, Information and Tools in one place
My Care KIT stands for Knowledge, Information and Tools.
Each KIT has been developed to help people better understand their cancer and feel more informed and prepared for the conversations and decisions that may lie ahead.
Depending on the cancer type, the KITs include information and guidance on topics such as:
Understanding the cancer and the part of the body it affects
Diagnosis, tests and investigations
Cancer staging
The treatment journey and treatment options
Managing symptoms and treatment side effects
Diet and nutrition
Clinical trials
Support for patients, carers and whānau
Questions to consider asking your healthcare team
The printed KITs also provide a useful place to keep important information together and record appointments, medications, symptoms, questions and notes throughout treatment and care.
My Care KIT is designed to complement the advice and support provided by a person’s healthcare team, giving patients and whānau a trusted resource they can return to whenever they need it.
More than information: connecting people with support
The My Care KITs are an important part of Gut Cancer Foundation’s wider support for New Zealanders affected by upper GI cancers.
Alongside providing trusted information, our Support Service helps ensure patients, whānau and carers know they do not have to navigate the cancer journey alone.
We encourage people affected by an upper GI cancer to connect with the service, whether they have recently been diagnosed, are undergoing treatment, are living with cancer or are supporting someone they care about.
Health professionals can also refer patients and whānau to Gut Cancer Foundation’s Support Service, helping them access additional information and support alongside their clinical care.
Now available for five upper GI cancers
Free My Care KITs are now available for:
Together, these resources and our Support Service are designed to help people affected by upper GI cancers feel better informed, supported and connected throughout their journey.
Free for patients, whānau, carers and health professionals
All Gut Cancer Foundation My Care KITs are provided completely free of charge to patients, whānau, carers and health professionals throughout New Zealand.
Each KIT is available in two formats:
Digital download – download to your device and access the information whenever you need it.
Printed binder – order a physical copy and we will deliver it free of charge anywhere in New Zealand.
View, download or order your free My Care KIT
Explore all five My Care KITs here: https://www.gutcancer.org.nz/shop/#gsc.tab=0
We particularly encourage health professionals working with people affected by upper GI cancers to order or share these resources with their patients and whānau, and to refer them to Gut Cancer Foundation’s Support Service for further support.
Acknowledgements
Gut Cancer Foundation’s My Care KIT resources have been adapted from resources developed by Pancare Foundation Australia, and we are incredibly grateful for their knowledge, guidance and support.
We also sincerely thank the organisations whose generosity has helped make the My Care KIT programme possible, particularly The Lion Foundation, New Zealand Lottery Grants Board, the David Levene Foundation and the North & South Trust.
Their support is helping us ensure trusted upper GI cancer information and support are freely available to patients, whānau, carers and health professionals throughout New Zealand.