Cancer Archives | Page 2 of 7 | South Western Sydney PHN

10 March 2025

Please be advised, in the coming weeks researchers from the University of Melbourne may contact you to invite your practice to participate in the ReadytoScreen randomised control trial, an important initiative to support the implementation of the National Lung Cancer Screening program.

Your practice may be selected – along with others across NSW and Victoria – if data from the National Cancer Screening Register shows a higher prevalence of lung cancer diagnoses in the vicinity of your practice.

The research is targeting patients from seven different language backgrounds.

Researchers have provided the following information about the program and the trial to SWSPHN to share with general practices in our region, including information about what’s involved in participating in the trial and practice eligibility for the trial.

Why lung cancer screening?

The National Lung Cancer Screening Program will begin on 1 July 2025, and eligible participants will need a referral from their GP to be screened. Early detection through screening is proven to significantly improve outcomes for patients at high risk of lung cancer.

To be eligible for the program patients must be:

are aged between 50 and 70 years
show no signs or symptoms of lung cancer (that is, you are asymptomatic)

and

have a history of at least 30 pack-years of cigarette smoking and are still smoking

have a history of at least 30 pack-years of cigarette smoking and quit in the past 10 years

Is your practice prepared?

The ReadytoScreen trial aims to identify the most effective strategies for engaging eligible patients to take up lung cancer screening.

Researchers want to understand how communication and information from a patient’s general practice can increase participation rates, and how practices can be better supported to deliver the National Lung Cancer Screening Program.

They’ll also explore the barriers and enablers to implementing this program in your practice and across Australia.

What’s involved in participating?

By joining the ReadytoScreen trial, your practice will:

be supported to identify patients who may be eligible for screening
gain access to Future Health Today, a point-of-care clinical decision support tool, integrated into your existing software
develop a list of patients interested in being contacted for eligibility assessment, with support from a research nurse
be supported onsite by one of our research nurses
receive $2,000 reimbursement for your time, with your clinical staff eligible to claim up to 4.5 continuing professional development (CPD) hours for participation

These activities will ensure practices are prepared for roll-out of the National Lung Cancer Screening Program from 1 July 2025.

Practice eligibility criteria:

To participate, a practice must:

have at least two full-time equivalent GPs and a practice manager (or delegate)
use electronic medical record (EMR) software (eg Best Practice, Medical Director, ZedMed) and be able to extract patient cohort lists
have the ability to send SMS reminders to patients

For more information, please email ready-to-screen@unimelb.edu.au or call 0459 867 617. A member of the University of Melbourne research team will reach out to discuss your involvement.

02 October 2024

NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia (NECA) is the only not-for-profit medical charity providing support to Australians living with neuroendocrine cancers.

The charity offers free specialist telephone support services to patients, and free resources and education to health professionals, including education modules, in-service training sessions, booklets and assistance with the Optimal Care Pathway navigation.

Neuroendocrine cancer (NET) is Australia’s seventh most diagnosed cancer, with more than 5,550 diagnosed annually and more than 25,550 living with the disease.

One in two patients report being initially misdiagnosed with something other than neuroendocrine cancer, and a correct diagnosis can take between five and seven years. Some 60 per cent of patients are Stage 4 when correctly diagnosed and are no longer curable.

The main NET symptoms include flushing, wheezing, diarrhoea, racing heart (palpitations) and fatigue.

The Optimal Care Pathway for neuroendocrine cancer enables health services to support improved outcomes for patients, direct resourcing to create equity in access and outcomes for all.

Learn more about NETs:

Free accredited HCP learning modules
Order booklets and flyers for your practice
Request free In-Service Training session
Optimal Care Pathway Quick Reference Guide
Patient referral form
Free educational workshops

16 September 2024

GPs in South Western Sydney are encouraged to use Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, as a prompt for referring eligible patients for breast screening.

Did you know?

Patients aged 50 or over with no family history, still face a one in seven risk of breast cancer.
Participation in BreastScreen in South Western Sydney is lower than the state average.

An appointment with BreastScreen NSW is free, takes less than 20 minutes and run by all-female radiographer staff.

Clinics in South Western Sydney can be found at:

Permanent clinics:

Bankstown – Ground Level, Civic Tower, corner of Rickard Road and Jacobs Street
Bowral – Bowral Specialist Centre, Suite 4/70 Bowral Street
Campbelltown – Mawson Centre, Units 3-5, 4 Browne Street
Liverpool (screening) – Unit 5, 157-161 George Street, opposite court house
Liverpool (screening and assessment) – 102 Bigge Street

Mobile clinics:

Fairfield (29 July to 15 November) – Fairfield Forum shopping centre, car park, near ALDI loading dock, off Station Street
Tahmoor (18 November to 13 December) – Tahmoor Community Centre car park, off Harper Close, which is off Remembrance Drive

Patients can access bookings via book.breastscreen.nsw.gov.au or by calling 13 20 50. Interpreters are available free of charge by calling 13 14 50.

26 August 2024

A new national cervical screening campaign is starting next month and is likely to increase patient demand for the HPV self-collection option.

The Australian Government has funded the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer to get healthcare providers up to speed before the patient-facing campaign begins.

You can:

Complete CPD accredited online learning modules
Download provider clinical resources, as well as patient resources
Contact your laboratory to ensure you have the correct swabs and instructions to offer self-collection
Remember that self-collection is just as sensitive for the detection of HPV and CIN2+/adenocarcinoma in situ as a clinician-collected cervical sample and can be offered to all cervical screening patients
Understand barriers for under-screened groups and how provider cultural competence and the option of self-collection can overcome them
Ensure you feel confident supporting patients to choose what is right for them

You can access all the above and more in one centralised location on this website.

24 July 2024

GenesisCare Campbelltown will present a dinner and discussion on the latest developments in breast cancer treatment on Thursday, 19 September from 6pm.

Speakers will include Dr Michael Cardoso on the role and advancements in radiation therapy; Dr Belinda Kiely on new therapies and toxicities; Dr Andrew Ong on breast conserving surgery and reconstruction techniques; Dr Saima Batool on understanding your mammogram report; and Hope Spensor on physiotherapy and exercise for lymphedema management.

There will also be a panel discussion and case studies.

Food and drinks will be served throughout the evening, which is being held at GenesisCare, 38 Camden Road, Campbelltown.

For more information email joseph.obeid@genesiscare.com or phone 0467 508 036.

17 July 2024

A new project called Design of information content for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program is seeking to identify and clarify the education and information needs for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program.

Cancer Australia is funding the study, which is being conducted by researchers at The Daffodil Centre.

The project team is seeking people who are:

members of the primary care workforce
specialists with a direct role in the National Lung Cancer Screening Program
members of professional colleges and peak bodies relevant to lung cancer screening

Participation will involve a 30 to 60-minute interview in the next few weeks, with additional consultation opportunities over the next few months.

Taking part in some or all the consultation activities is voluntary, and you will be offered a $50/hour gift voucher for taking part.

If you are interested in participating, please complete an Expression of Interest form

If you have any questions, please email Dr Rachael Dodd at rachael.dodd@sydney.edu.au 

17 July 2024

Flinders University’s Caring Futures Institute is hosting a webinar on The role of the GP in improving cancer outcomes and achieving equity in cancer care on Monday, 2 September from 7pm to 8.30pm, in partnership with Cancer Australia and PC4 (The Primary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials group).

The webinar will explain the strategic objectives and goals of the Australian Cancer Plan (ACP) in relation to the role of GPs in cancer care and recognise the importance of early detection, prevention, and personalised risk assessment in improving cancer outcomes for diverse populations.

It will identify the key components of person-centered, culturally safe, and integrated navigation models in cancer care and their impact on enhancing consumer experience and outcomes and discuss the role of GPs in delivering optimal cancer care.

Speakers include Cancer Australia medical director Dr Vivienne Milch, Associate Professor Dr Kylie Vuong of Griffith University and Associate Professor Carolyn Ee of Flinders University.

Panel members are Associate Professor Joel Rhee of the RACGP, Professor Michael Jefford of the Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre and Eric Yeung from CanRevive. The chair is Professor Catherine Paterson, Co-Lead of Cancer Survivorship Program, Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University.

The event is free. Click here to register

16 April 2024

Skin Cancer College Australasia (SCCA) offers education focused on skin cancer medicine from introductory to advanced level courses.

Certificate of Skin Cancer Medicine

A recommended starting point for GPs wanting to expand their knowledge and skills in primary care skin cancer medicine.

The foundational course starts with a four-week online learning phrase, followed by a hands-on practical workshop.

This course offers comprehensive support from experienced practitioners for the safe practice of skin cancer medicine surgical techniques.

Find out more

Certificate of Dermoscopy

Is delivered online and designed for GPs, primary care nurses and qualified dermal clinicians with minimal experience in dermoscopy.

The six-week course enables practitioners to implement dermoscopy in their primary care setting.

Featuring live interactivity with expert dermoscopists, students have the opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback in real time during live webinar sessions.

Find out more

Find out more about SCCA courses.

05 April 2024

The process of referring cancers patients to the Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre (MCTC) remains the same despite the opening of the two private clinic facilities – Genesis Care and Cancer Care Associates – in Campbelltown.

MCTC is a public clinic which has been providing cancer services to the region for more than 20 years.

Though some MCTC doctors will also be working at Genesis Care, there is no change to the care provided to patients at the centre. MCTC will continue to provide excellent multidisciplinary care to patients, with 100 per cent bulk billing.

For all new patient referrals, please email or fax to the contacts below:

Administrative staff will call you back with appointments and who you need to address the referrals to once your referrals been triaged.

Email: swslhd-campbelltown-mctcnewpatients@health.nsw.gov.au

Fax: 4634 4311

Phone: 4634 4300

Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre – Medical and Radiation Oncologists:

Download the list

18 December 2023

South Western Sydney GPs have embraced the Early Breast Cancer Survivorship Shared Care Program which kicked off in early December.

Twelve GPS agreed to be a part of the SWSPHN-commissioned program in its first week of operation.

The program offers a tailored approach to shared care through a breast cancer CNC (cancer nurse coordinator).

The process is:

Cancer service identifies breast cancer survivors suitable for shared care
The cancer nurse coordinator discusses it with the woman and gets consent. CNC then contacts the woman’s regular GP and gets their consent to provide shared care
The CNC supports the GP to provide shared care, with regular cancer follow-ups completed alternately by the hospital and GP. Eventually it is just the GP completing the follow-ups

The cancer nurse coordinator also acts as an escalation point if there are medical complications.

The Early Breast Cancer Survivorship Shared Care Program evolved out of work the SWSPHN did in 2019 with Cancer Australia regarding the development of national clinical guidance for early breast cancer survivorship shared care processes.

It also looked at the SWSLHD Cancer Services’ shared care pilot CISCO (centralised specialist cancer survivorship assessment clinic) for patients with early breast cancer (or DCIS).

In July, SWSPHN commissioned SWSLHD to fund a breast cancer CNC to implement a shared care model for the region. GPs may be contacted to provide shared care.

The initial pilot will focus on the Macarthur region, however, if interest is good there are plans to expand into Liverpool and Fairfield and also include other tumour groups.

The program will initially operate until 30 June 2025.