Download icas assessment standard no. 10 applicant health (cancer)

ICAS ASSESSMENT STANDARD No. 10
Applicant Health (Cancer)
Intercountry Adoption Service (ICAS)
1. Scope
This standard should be read in conjunction with the Intercountry Adoption Service
(ICAS) Manual and other ICAS Assessment Standards
This standard applies to all employees of ICAS, contractors to ICAS and applicants to
the ICAS at each stage of the ICAS process including application, assessment and post
placement support.
2. Relevant Legislation
Section 35e of the Adoption Regulations states:
(a) the health of the applicants, including emotional, physical and mental
health is suitable;
(e) the applicants have the capacity to provide a stable, secure and
beneficial emotional and physical environment during a child's
upbringing until the child reaches social and emotional independence;
ICAS is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all Intercountry children placed
through the service to ensuring that adoptive parents are fit and able to provide
appropriate care through to an adopted child reaching independence.
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3. Reason for Standard
According to the Cancer Council of Victoria1, cancer affects a large number of
Australians, both directly and indirectly:
 An estimated 114,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Australia in
2010.
 1 in 2 Australians will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85 years.
 Cancer is a leading cause of death in Australia-more than 43,000 people
are estimated to have died from cancer in 2010.
 Nearly 15,000 more people die each year from cancer than 30 years ago;
this is due mainly to population growth and aging. However, the death rate
(number of deaths per 100,000 people has fallen by 16%.
 More than 69% of cancer patients will survive more than five years after
diagnosis.
 The survival rate for many common cancers has increased by 30% in the
past twenty years.
 The most common cancers in Australia (excluding non-melanoma sin
cancer) are prostrate, colorectal (bowel), breast, melanoma and lung
cancer.
 Around 434,000 people are treated for one or more non-melanoma skin
cancers with 448 people dying in 2007.
At least one in three cancers are made preventable by choosing a cancer smart and
healthy lifestyle. More than 13,000 cancer deaths each year are due to smoking, sun
exposure, poor diet, alcohol, inadequate exercise or being overweight.
Some cancers can be detected at an early stage when treatment is likely to be more
effective. Tests are available that can detect these cancers well before any symptoms
present, i.e.: Pap smear, Bowel Screening and Mammograms
4. Requirements
This Assessment Standard outlines the expectation that all applicants to the ICAS are
in good health at the time of assessment and reassessment.
Applicants must disclose at any stage of the ICAS process any history of cancer
diagnosis or treatment or any current health concerns related to cancer.
4.1 Applicants who have a past or current history of cancer
ICAS recognises there are many forms of cancer, some of which are considered
medically cured following successful treatment.
Each case will be considered
individually, in conjunction with advice from the ICAS Senior Medical Officer.
However, in the majority of cases, an applicant who has been diagnosed with a cancer
must be cancer free for a period of 5 years from the cessation of treatment, to be
considered eligible to adopt a child through the ICAS program. This is to ensure that
the applicant will not be affected by a return of the cancer or from a medical condition
as a result of treatment that will interfere with their ability to adequately care for a
child until independence.
Any applicant with a history of cancer will be required to provide ICAS with reports
from all relevant specialists including all relevant documentation and test results
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Cancer Council of Victoria website: www.cancer.org.au (date retrieved 23 April 2012).
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regarding the type of cancer that was diagnosed. This will need to include the stage,
histology, treatment undertaken, history, follow-up and prognosis.
ICAS will consult regularly with the Senior Medical Officer to ensure current medical
developments in the field of oncology are taken into consideration for opinion and
recommendation which will form part of the management decision about the
suitability of the applicant to meet the adoption regulation requirements.
5. Key Responsibilities and Authorities
ICAS is responsible for ensuring the overall responsibility for the implementation of
this policy, review of this policy and dissemination of this policy to staff, contractors
and applicants to ICAS.
6. Further Information, Resources and Support
Contact Details
 Intercountry Adoption Service. 20/570 Bourke Street Melbourne. Victoria
3000. Telephone 8608-5700 or 1300 769 926.
 Cancer Council Victoria http://www.cancervic.org.au/
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