Cancer Australia Cancer Council Victoria Cancer Institute New South Wales Consumer representatives Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Strategy and Development Monash University North Eastern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre The University of Melbourne Wyong Hospital

Prof. Peter Choong (Chair), Surgeon, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Mr Naveed Alam, Thoracic Surgeon, St Vincent’s Hospital Lauren Atkins, Dietitian, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Dr Susie Bae, Medical Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Victoria Bartlett, Orthotist/Prothetist, St Vincent’s Hospital Mandy Basson, Consumer representative, Sock it to Sarcoma!, Western Australia Prof. Richard Carey-Smith, Surgeon, Perth Orthopaedic…

Allied Health Professions Australia Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Care Australian Chapter of Palliative Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians Australian College of Nursing Australian Institute of Radiography Australian Medical Association Australian Orthopaedic Association Australasian Sarcoma Study Group Medical Oncology Group of Australia Royal Australasian College of Physicians Royal Australasian College of Surgeons…

If not already underway, referral to palliative care should be considered at this stage (including nursing, pastoral care, palliative medicine specialist backup, inpatient palliative bed access as required, social work, psychology/psychiatry and bereavement counselling), with general practitioner engagement. If not already in place, the patient and carer should be encouraged to develop an advance care…

  Recent years have seen the emergence of adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology as a distinct field due to lack of progress in survival and quality-of-life outcomes (Ferrari et al. 2010; NCI & USDHHS 2006; Smith et al. 2013). The significant developmental change that occurs during this life stage complicates a diagnosis of cancer…

The rarity and complexity of child cancer provides a real challenge in delivering optimal care. Treatment modalities for paediatric cancer are often prolonged and complicated and have a narrow therapeutic index. Side effects of systemic therapy for treating cancer can be more severe for children, including acute organ toxicities, prolonged immunodeficiency and infection. As a…

  Planning and delivering appropriate cancer care for older people presents a number of challenges. Improved communication between the fields of oncology and geriatrics facilitates best practice care that takes into account physiological age, complex comorbidities, risk of adverse events and drug interactions, as well as implications of cognitive impairment on suitability of treatment and…

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