Efficiency hub

Challenge Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis among men in the UK, with an estimated 48,500 new diagnoses made every year.1 The 10-year survival rate for prostate cancer is almost 80%, following improvements in diagnosis and advances in treatment.1 Men who have undergone…

The UK has lower survival rates for many types of cancer than the rest of Europe, partly due to delays in diagnosis. When people present with non-specific symptoms, general practitioners may find it difficult to determine whether further clinical investigations are needed. This may delay access to treatment, limit treatment options and reduce survival rates. To address this, Macmillan Cancer Support developed a Cancer Decision Support tool that calculates a person’s risk of having an undiagnosed cancer based on symptoms, medical history and demographic data, and helps GPs consider whether further testing or specialist referral is needed.

While breast cancer diagnoses in Australia are increasing, the mortality rate has declined following improvements in screening, diagnosis and treatment. The information needs for people with breast cancer are likely to increase as many are diagnosed at a younger age, have a range of treatments to choose from and have to navigate survivorship. In 2019, Breast Cancer Network Australia launched the My Journey online tool to provide tailored information to people with breast cancer, using demographic, diagnostic and treatment data, which is updated and amended as they progress through their care pathway. People with breast cancer have reported that it has helped them better prepare for appointments and treatment, manage side effects, access specialist information, explore other people’s experiences and share their care pathway with friends and family.

The importance of efficiency has become more evident than ever following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As healthcare systems adapt and restructure to manage the crisis, we must focus on using resources efficiently and effectively to support the fight against COVID-19, minimise the impact of the pandemic on cancer services and patient outcomes, and protect people with cancer, their families and carers from infection. The All.Can efficiency hub hopes to contribute to these efforts by sharing innovative examples of how cancer care is adapting in response to COVID-19.

Emergency care departments are typically designed to care for people for up to six hours. However, some people cannot be safely discharged within that timeframe. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center set up an observation unit to enable an additional 24 to 48 hours of observational care before hospital admission.

Models of cancer care that focus solely on active treatment leave people with cancer unsupported for a large part of their care pathway. Two centres in Italy set up supportive care services to address this issue.

The European Society of Oncology Pharmacy launched the Empowering Pharmacists to Improve Healthcare for Oral Chemotherapy Patients (EPIC) project to establish a European best-practice model for pharmacists dispensing oral anticancer agents.

France introduced the ‘right to be forgotten’ law, which states that some cancer survivors are exempt from disclosing their history of cancer to insurers. The ‘right to be forgotten’ aims to reduce the socioeconomic burden on cancer survivors by improving their access to loans and insurance.

Eurocarers has created an essential care and cancer toolkit to educate carers about cancer, help carers come to terms with their situation and encourage them to evaluate their needs and seek help. The toolkit is based on research and input from carers, people with cancer and healthcare professionals across the European Union.