Welcome to the new VICS website!

New features make it even easier to learn about the VICS and how we can help you.

Read more

VICS Optimal Care Summits head and neck cancer consultation 2018

Statewide - Adult

The VICS’ first strategic consultation on head and neck cancer was held in 2018.

A live summit event on 12 October in Melbourne attracted 101 participants from across Victoria.

Recommendations

Following the summit and at the request of the Victorian Department of Health, the advisory group below developed a position statement on provision of safe care to head and neck cancer patients through Victorian health services. In that statement, the group made the following recommendations:

  1. All head and neck cancer patients treated with curative intent be prospectively reviewed at a head and neck cancer multidisciplinary meeting (MDM)
  2. The MDM should have a core membership as per the head and neck cancer Optimal Care Pathway (OCP), with participating clinicians having sub-specialty training and current experience with head and neck cancer – including at least (but not limited to) ablative surgery, reconstructive surgery, radiation oncology, medical oncology, radiology, pathology, speech pathology and dietetics.
  3. The MDM should determine and document the treatment plan and the most appropriate treating centre – placing a high priority on directing appropriate high-complexity patients to fully resourced, high-volume treating centres, under the supervision of experienced clinicians who are currently treating a high volume of head and neck cancers with curative intent.

Impacts

The recommendations above (all relating to MDMs) informed the 2018 development of standards, indicators and measures for all MDMs in Victoria, aligned with Australia’s National Safety and Quality Health Service standards – collectively forming the Victorian MDM quality framework. This framework became a focus of a 2020–24 priority area for the VICS and a statewide audit project led by LMICS.

Summit records

VICS Optimal Care Summits
Program overview
Consultation process
Impacts
Other consultations

Expert advisory group

  • Dr Andrew Coleman (Co-chair) – Radiation Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

  • Mr Stephen Tudge (Co-chair) – ENT surgeon, Malvern Hill Consulting
  • Dr Stephen Brown – Medical oncologist, Ballarat Health Services
  • Ms Penny Chapman – Senior speech pathologist, St Vincent’s Hospital
  • Mr David Deutscher – Surgeon, Ballarat Health Services
  • Dr Tsien Fua – Head of Head and Neck Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
  • A/Prof Hui Gan – Director Clinical Trials, Austin Health
  • Mr Mark Guirguis – ENT surgeon, Ear Nose Throat Ballarat
  • Ms Jane Harrowfield – Senior dietitian (Head and Neck Cancers), Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
  • Mr Colin Hornby – Radiotherapy advisor, Victorian Department of Health & Human Services
  • Mr Rhys Hughes – Senior speech pathologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
  • Mr Tim Iseli – ENT surgeon, North Melbourne Ear, Nose and Throat
  • Mr Hari Jeyarajan – ENT surgeon, ENT on the Bay
  • A/Prof Bernard M Lyons – Head and neck surgeon, ENT Victoria
  • Dr Maithum Mathlum – Radiation oncologist, Icon Cancer Centre Geelong
  • Mr Rodney Mitchell – General Surgeon, Bendigo
  • Dr Eliza Tweddle – ENT surgeon, Albury Wodonga Private Hospital
  • Dr Mori Wada – Radiation oncologist, Austin Health
  • A/Prof David Wiesenfeld – Oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.