New national report: every $1 invested in exercise physiology for cancer care returns $3

A new report from Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) and Deloitte Access Economics has put a number on something we see every day at Valere: exercise physiology changes outcomes for people living with cancer, and it saves the health system money while it does it.

The report modelled the economic impact of Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) care across six condition groups nationally. Cancer came out on top. Of all six groups modelled, cancer delivered the highest benefit-cost ratio and the highest benefit per person treated.

The headline number

For every $1 invested in exercise physiology for people with cancer, the analysis found $3 in economic benefit is generated. That is the highest return of any condition group in the report:

• Cancer: $3.00 return per $1 invested

• Musculoskeletal conditions: $2.60

• Mental health: $2.50

• Cardiovascular disease: $2.50

• Pulmonary disease: $2.40

• Physical disability: $2.30

Per person treated, the modelled benefit was $2,609, made up of avoided health system costs and productivity gains, over a three-year period.

What this means for you

If you are living with or beyond cancer, these numbers translate into something practical: seeing an exercise physiologist during and after your treatment is associated with real, measurable differences in how your treatment goes and how you get on with life.

Based on what the analysis found, engaging in an individually prescribed exercise program alongside your cancer treatment is linked to:

• Fewer trips to hospital. 9,353 avoided hospitalisations and 5,060 avoided ED presentations nationally, over three years. Less time in hospital means more time doing the things that matter to you.

• Getting back to work and daily life sooner. More than half of the modelled productivity gain came from people functioning better at work while managing treatment, not just fewer sick days. This includes reductions in absenteeism, presenteeism, and the load carried by family and friends who step in as informal carers.

• Better quality of life. 155 quality-adjusted life years gained for people with cancer who received exercise physiology support, capturing improvements in day-to-day physical function and wellbeing.

• Less reliance on specialist and GP visits. 13,165 fewer specialist outpatient visits and 23,384 fewer GP consultations nationally, pointing to fewer disruptions to your week overall.

  
  

In plain terms: investing in your exercise care during treatment is not a nice-to-have alongside chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. The evidence base is building that it is one of the most cost-effective things you can do for yourself while you are getting through it.

Why this matters

Right now, the analysis estimates only around 4% of the eligible cancer population nationally is accessing exercise physiology care. There is a significant gap between what the evidence shows is possible and what people are currently able to access.

At Valere, this is the work we do every day: individually prescribed, cancer-specific exercise physiology delivered alongside your treatment team, not instead of it. This report adds to a growing body of evidence for why that access matters, and why it should be a standard part of cancer care, not an exception to it.

Source: Exercise & Sports Science Australia and Deloitte Access Economics, Valuing the Contribution of Exercise Physiologists in Australia: An Economic Perspective, August 2026.