VICS Optimal Care Summits endometrial cancer consultation 2024
The VICS are undertaking our first consultation on variations in endometrial cancer care and outcomes in 2024.
For 12 years, the VICS Optimal Care Summits program has examined Victorian patterns of cancer care, patient experience, and outcomes for specific tumour streams. Until now, the program (formerly known as the Victorian Tumour Summits) has not looked at gynaecological cancers. In line with the national Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs), we will examine care and outcomes for endometrial cancer, which accounts for 95% of cases of uterine cancer. Separate OCPs exist for cervical cancer and ovarian cancer.
VICS Optimal Care Summits
Consultation
Over the latter half of 2024, the VICS have been consulting healthcare providers and other stakeholders in every stage of care and support for endometrial/uterine cancer in Victoria – oncologists, surgeons, nurses, GPs, palliative care specialists, allied health professionals, consumer advocates, and more.
If you are involved in endometrial cancer care, please complete our short stakeholder details web form to register your interest.
The summits team is also collecting information on projects and initiatives in the last 5 years (since 2017) relating to care or support for people in Victoria with endometrial cancer. If you know of any such work, please enter what details you have in our environmental scan web form.
Consultation and engagement throughout 2024 will lead up to a live summit event on Friday 22 November. That summit will generate proposed actions for cancer service improvement priorities, informed and supported by health organisations across Victoria.
Rapid literature review
Our mixed-methods strategic consultation approach includes a rapid review of existing literature. The present review explored known patterns of endometrial cancer care, what strategies have been used to determine and address unwarranted variations, and effectiveness of those strategies to date.
Barriers, enablers, and preferences
We sent 119 stakeholders across Victoria a survey, asking them to select perceived unwarranted variations in endometrial cancer care in their region and to describe barriers, enablers, and preferences for optimal care.
Over half of respondents felt access to bariatric surgery was a key unwarranted variation, while close to half identified time from diagnosis to treatment, time to surgery, and access to supportive care. Other key unwarranted variations described by multiple respondents included access to clinical trials, delays in time to diagnosis, access to fertility preservation, lack of presentation at multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs), and access to MDMs.
We noted variation between the perceived unwarranted variations in metropolitan vs regional areas. For example, access to bariatric surgery and supportive care was seen as a limitation in metropolitan areas, but was much less recognised in regional areas. This may be attributed to differences in available services.
Advisory group
The multidisciplinary group of expert stakeholders below met for the first time in early June 2024 and will come together regularly between now and the summit. They will guide surveys of stakeholders in endometrial/uterine cancer care, analysis of data from multiple sources, and identification of ‘unwarranted variations’ in care and outcomes that should be discussed at the summit.
- Dr Simon Hyde (Co-chair) – Director Gynaecological Oncology, Mercy Hospital for Women
- Dr Rosemary McBain (Co-chair) – Gynaecological Oncologist, Royal Women’s Hospital
- Dr Sumitra Ananda – Medical Oncologist, Western Health
- A/Prof. Yoland Antill – Medical Oncologist, Cabrini Health
- Dr Rob Blum – Clinical Director Cancer Services, Bendigo Health
- A/Prof. Ian Collins, Medical Oncologist – South West Oncology
- Dr Kristin Cornell – Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Southwest Health Care
- Sally Dooley – General Practitioner, Carlton Medical Centre
- A/Prof. Mahesh Iddawela – Medical Oncologist, La Trobe Regional Health
- Nicole Kinnane – Clinical Nurse Consultant, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
- Erika Kotowicz – Oncology Rehabilitation Care Coordinator and Senior Clinician Physiotherapist, Barwon Health
- Erin Laing – Senior Dietitian, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
- Dr Carminia Lapuz – Radiation Oncologist, Austin Health
- Dr Ming-Yin Lin – Radiation Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
- Dr Marsali Newman – Pathologist, Austin Health
- Dr Niveditha Rajadevan – Gynaecological Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
- Dr Matthew Read – Bariatric surgeon, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne
- Mrs Kelly Scorey – Cancer Services Ambulatory Services Manager, Oncology
- Nurse, and Nurse Unit Manager, Kyabram District Health Service
- Rachel Smith – Gynae-oncology Inpatient Ward CNC, Mercy Hospital for Women
- Dr Margreet Stegeman – Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Shepparton Women’s Health Centre
- A/Prof. Kate Stern – Fertility Specialist, Gynaecologist and Reproductive Endocrinologist, Royal Women’s Hospital
- Dr Lee Na Teo – Medical Oncologist, Ballarat Health Service
- Nicole Webb – Cancer Care Coordinator, Albury Wodonga Health
- Dr Kate Webber – Medical Oncologist and Gynaecological Cancer Trials Stream Lead, Monash Health.