NEMICS Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care Audit Report

NEMICS Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Care Audit Report

Optimal care for cancer patients aged 15-25 years includes the provision of specialised support to the AYA patient, their family, and their care team for all stages of the cancer care pathway including location of care, clinical trial access, treatment planning, and post-treatment guidance and community referrals.

In the Optimal Care Pathway (OCP) for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer (2022), health professionals are strongly recommended to consider referring AYA patients with a confirmed cancer diagnosis to a cancer centre with expertise in managing AYA cancers. In Victoria, the primary centre recommended for AYA cancer supportive care and care coordination is the Victorian Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Service at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

Admitted patient data indicates that approximately 50 new AYA cancer diagnoses occur each year within the NEMICS region. In 2023, an audit was conducted to assess whether referral pathways and supportive care screening activities documented in AYA patient records across NEMICS member health services align with relevant OCP recommendations for AYA cancer patients.

The NEMICS Adolescent and Young Adult Audit Report summarises the key findings from the audit, and aims to help inform cancer services reform and quality improvement, supporting priorities for equitable cancer care and outcomes for AYA people with cancer.