Much has changed in the past 30 years of cancer treatment and research, but one thing that hasn't is medical oncologist Paul Craft's drive and determination.
"It's always a privilege to help people when they're in that sort of situation," Dr Craft said.
"It's a demanding role at times, but it always feel like you make a difference."
Dr Craft is the clinical director at Canberra Hospital's cancer centre, where he has worked for more than 35 years.
This Thursday marks World Cancer Day, and the clinical director at the hospital said outlooks have improved for patients diagnosed with cancer during the years he's worked in the field, thanks to countless medical breakthroughs.
Now in those sorts of fields we have 20 consultants and the growth has been dramatic over that time and the treatment is much better.
Dr Paul Craft
"There have been big improvements in the knowledge of cancer biology, and there is now targeted treatment that focuses in on the genes that are activated in a cancer cell," Dr Craft said.
"One of the big things that has improved the experience for patients is that there is a much bigger focus on there being a multidisciplinary approach."
Dr Craft first started at the cancer centre as a specialist at Canberra Hospital in 1986, following training at Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital and St Vincent's Hospital.
Upon starting out more than 30 years ago in the field, Dr Craft said treatment types were limited.
"It was just myself and three colleagues working in cancer but across all of the different fields," Dr Craft said.
"Now in those sorts of fields we have 20 consultants and the growth has been dramatic over that time and the treatment is much better."
At the time he started out at Canberra Hospital, survival rates for common cancers such as breast cancer were hovering around 60 per cent.
In the last five years, the survival rate for breast cancer in Canberra has been more than 90 per cent.
Despite the rising survival rates, this World Cancer Day, health experts have urged the importance of regular checks for cancer, following a decrease in cancer diagnoses last year due to the pandemic.
Between January and September 2020, there were 149,000 fewer cancer diagnostic procedures for common cancers such as lung, prostate, bowel and breast cancers, compared to the same time the year before.
Dr Craft said early screening was critical in order to detect cancer quickly.
Following more than 30 years of service at Canberra Hospital, this year saw Dr Craft awarded an AM in the Australia Day honours list.
He received the AM for his significant service to medicine, oncology and professional organsiations.
"It came as a surprise. I see it as a bit of an accolade for the whole thing and for the cancer centre, but it was quite unexpected, actually," he said.
Despite a career spanning decades, Dr Craft said he was far from finished with his work in helping patients during some of their darkest moments.
"Cancer is still a major scourge on the community and there is still work to be done," he said.
