We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to the land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present and emerging. This work is available from the Cancer Council website. First published in May 2015. This edition published in June 2021…

Our thanks to the following health professionals, consumer representatives, stakeholders and organisations consulted in developing this optimal care pathway.

The multidisciplinary team may include the following members: dietitian* interventional endoscopist (gastroenterologist or surgeon)* medical oncologist* oesophagogastric cancer nurse care coordinator* oesophagogastric surgeon* pathologist* radiation oncologist* upper GI radiologist* Aboriginal health practitioner, Indigenous liaison officer or remote general practitioner anaesthetist exercise physiologist fertility specialist general practitioner geneticist nuclear medicine physician physiotherapist palliative care specialist social…

Professor David Watson (Chair), Oesophagogastric Surgeon, Flinders Medical Centre Mrs Emily Banting, Upper GI Cancer Nurse Coordinator, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Mr Jeff Bull, Upper GI Cancer Nurse Consultant, Flinders Medical Centre Dr Julie Chu, Radiation Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Dr Nicola Poplawski, Clinical Geneticist, Royal Adelaide Hospital Professor Rajvinder Singh, Gastroenterologist, Lyell McEwin…

  Advance Care Planning Australia Allied Health Professions Australia Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine, Royal Australia College of Physicians Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group Australian and New Zealand Gastric and Oesophageal Surgery Association Australian and New Zealand Society of Neuroradiology Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Care Australian Cancer…

People who identify as sexually or gender diverse may have unique needs following a cancer diagnosis. Sexually or gender diverse identities include (but are not limited to) people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, collectively ‘LGBT’. There is no universally agreed upon initialism to describe this community, with other terms such as queer/questioning…

Professor David Watson (Chair), Head of Flinders University Department of Surgery and OesophagoGastric Surgery Unit, Flinders Medical Centre Dr Ahmad Aly, Head Upper GI Surgery, Austin Hospital; Clinical Associate Professor, The University of Melbourne Assoc. Professor Alex Boussioutas, Gastroenterologist/Endoscopist, Clinical Researcher, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Western Health, The University of Melbourne…

Supportive care in cancer refers to the following five domains: the physical domain, which includes a wide range of physical symptoms that may be acute, relatively short lived or ongoing, requiring continuing interventions or rehabilitation the psychological domain, which includes a range of issues related to the patient’s mental health wellbeing and personal relationships the…

Alfred Health Cancer Australia Cancer Council Victoria, Strategy and Support Division Cancer Institute New South Wales Concord Repatriation General Hospital New South Wales Consumer representative Department of Health Victoria, Commissioning and System Improvement Division, Cancer Unit National Cancer Expert Reference Group Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Other stakeholders consulted…

Consider a referral to a psychologist, psychiatrist, pastoral/spiritual care practitioner, social worker, specialist nurse or a relevant community-based program if the patient has these issues: displaying emotional cues such as tearfulness, distress that requires specialist intervention, avoidance or withdrawal being preoccupied with or dwelling on thoughts about cancer and death displaying fears about the treatment…