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May 2024 news and updates
International Clinical Trials Day – May 20
International Clinical Trials Day is coming up on May 20. Primary care practitioners can help patients consider a clinical trial by initiating the conversation early and using resources developed by Cancer Institute NSW to assist these discussions, including patient information in multiple languages.
This International Clinical Trials Day, May 20th, Cancer Institute NSW wishes to acknowledge the health care providers and participants involved in cancer clinical trials and the remarkable achievements they make by applying rigorous research in a clinical setting.
In the 2022–2023 financial year, 80 clinical trial units in NSW had 766 unique cancer clinical trials open for recruitment (trials may be conducted at more than one unit), and there were 2,561 new people enrolled in clinical trials. We celebrate this significant achievement that can change outcomes for people affected by cancer.
Did you know?
- Health care providers including GPs, specialists, nurses and other health professionals all play an important role in raising awareness about cancer clinical trials.
- Starting a conversation about clinical trials early at the primary care practice empowers patients to know their options when first seeing their specialists. The sooner clinical trials are considered, the more options your patients have for their cancer treatment and symptom management.
For more information on introducing clinical trials with your patient, visit: Clinical trials and primary care
Information for patients about clinical trials is also available in 12 languages: I have cancer… is a clinical trial an option for me?
January 2024 news and updates
Watch now: Cancer Conversations webinar - voluntary assisted dying legislation in NSW
Cancer Conversations is an after-hours online forum for health professionals, featuring topics of interest related to cancer treatment and care. The final cancer conversation webinar for 2023 focussed on the voluntary assisted dying legislation in NSW that came into effect on 28 November 2023.
The final cancer conversation webinar for 2023 focussed on the voluntary assisted dying legislation in NSW that came into effect on 28 November 2023.
This webinar gave a brief overview of what to expect with the new legislation answering questions such as how to access education to upskill clinicians and how the process may work once a patient has broached the question about VAD.
A recording of the webinar is now available to watch here - https://education.eviq.org.au/videos-webinars/webinars/cancer-conversation-voluntary-assisted-dying
Visit Health NSW for more information about VAD in NSW.
2023 program news and updates
2023 program news and updates
Free education module for GPs: Assessing and managing liver disease in primary care
Liver disease now affects up to 3 of every 10 Australian adults. This education activity provides an overview of liver disease and addresses how GPs can assess and manage this condition in primary care.
On completion of this education activity participants will be able to:
- Assess the prevalence and aetiology of liver disease in the Australian context.
- Identify the common types of liver disease and their potential consequences.
- Evaluate liver disease through the identification of abnormal liver biochemistry.
- Apply guideline recommendations to identify patients for urgent referral.
This education module equates to two hours of CPD activity.
To complete this free education module, click here.
Alternatively, you can complete this topic as part of a larger advanced course, called "The rising health threat of liver disease: What GPs can do to prevent premature mortality". Click here to access the advanced course.
NSW Health launches guidance to support young people to quit vaping
NSW Health has released a new guide to support health professionals and others who work with young people to assist young people to quit e-cigarettes (vapes).
The NSW Health: Guide to support young people to quit e-cigarettes has been developed with the advice of clinical experts in youth addiction, youth drug and alcohol, youth mental health, pharmacy, general practice, and smoking cessation.
The Guide is intended to support all health professionals and others who work with young people to effectively address e-cigarette use, support young people to manage nicotine withdrawals, and assist young people in quitting e-cigarettes. It complements existing resources available in the NSW Health Vaping Toolkit, as well as upcoming resources under development.
The Guide takes a pragmatic approach to supporting young people to quit vaping and includes content on Ask, Advise, Help brief interventions, screening tools, a ‘toolbox’ of behavioural support options, pharmacotherapy where appropriate and links to other useful resources. Content will be regularly reviewed and updated as new evidence and consensus emerges on how to best support young people to quit.
Please share the Guide with your networks, and if you have any feedback, please provide this via email to email MOH-Tobacco@health.nsw.gov.au.
GP tools for discussing cancer clinical trials
Cancer clinical trials should be offered as an option for patients faced with cancer.
GPs can start a clinical trials conversation early with their patients to inform them about their options when they first see their cancer specialists.
Here are some tools to assist you with these conversations:
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Why talk to your patients about clinical trials
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How to talk to your patients about clinical trials
Here are some resources to assist in searching for cancer services and clinical trials in your area:
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Canrefer: website search to identify cancer specialists and hospitals in NSW and ACT conducting trials.
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Recruiting cancer clinical trials in NSW: website search to identify cancer trials by cancer type and location.
Information about cancer clinical trials tailored to GPs: My patient has cancer…is a clinical trial an option? (PDF)
Webinar on equitable focus to access to treatment and clinical trials
Cancer Conversations is an after-hours online forum for health professionals, featuring topics of interest related to cancer treatment and care.
This webinar was held in June and focused on equitable access to treatment and clinical trials.
Facilitator, Professor Sanchia Aranda, Dr Abhijit Pal, Dr Robert Zielinski and guest speakers discussed the enablers and challenges to clinical trials.
Joining Dr Pal and Dr Zielinski on the panel to share their knowledge and perspectives were:
- Marg McJannet, Chief Executive for ANZUP
- Megan Collett, Head of Development Operations for APAC
- Mayra Ouriques, Clinical trials optimisation manager for Strategic Research Investment with the Cancer Institute NSW.
View the recording of this conversation >
The Cancer Conversation webinars for Advanced Care Planning and Voluntary Assisted Dying will be held later in the year.
Information to support your patients affected by cancer
Patient information on the Cancer Institute NSW website includes information on key topics around diagnosis, treatment, coping with cancer and finding support, with links to additional resources from reputable organisations.
There is currently information on 34 specific cancer types.
In addition, the Institute have been increasing the in-language content to support people from multicultural communities affected by cancer.
This now consists of information in 8 languages (Arabic, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Greek, Italian, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese), covering the same core topics as our English content.
International Clinical Trials Day
International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world on May 20 to recognise the day that James Lind started what is considered the first randomised clinical trial aboard a ship in 1747, searching for a treatment for scurvy.
Now 276 years later, it is raising awareness about clinical trials, such as how they save lives, and how important they are in medical research.
General practitioners (GPs) can help raise awareness of cancer clinical trials. Empowering patients at the time of their cancer diagnosis to explore and discuss clinical trials with specialists puts them at the centre of their treatment.
The Cancer Institute NSW’s information sheet for GPs titled: My patient has cancer...is a clinical trial an option? Is a valuable resource to download.
For more information about clinical trials, please visit the Cancer Institute NSW website.
Supporting cancer clinical trials in primary care: new information sheet
The Cancer Institute NSW has developed an information sheet for General Practitioners (GPs) titled: My patient has cancer... is a clinical trial an option? to support cancer clinical trial discussions with patients.
Clinical trials are an integral part of the cancer treatment pathway. The sooner clinical trials are considered the more options patients have for their cancer treatment and symptom management.
GPs and primary care nurses are essential in raising awareness about cancer clinical trials.[1] Starting a clinical trials conversation early, encourages patients to be informed about options when first seeing their specialists.[2]
My patient has cancer... is a clinical trial an option? information sheet for GPs includes:
- why should GPs discuss clinical trials with patients?
- how do cancer clinical trials help patients?
- cancer clinical trials are multi-purpose
- what should I tell my patients about clinical trials?
- GP’s role in the clinical trial journey
- how GPs can support patient decision making about clinical trial participation
- phases of clinical research
- resources for healthcare providers
- how to find recruiting cancer trials.
Download the PDF version or access more information on the above topics on the Cancer Institute NSW website.
1. The Impact of an Online Training Program About Cancer Clinical Trials on Primary Care Physicians' Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs, and Behavior. Carma L Bylund, Margo Michaels, Elisa S Weiss, Shilpa Patel, Thomas A D'Agostino, Maria Christina Binz-Scharf , Diane McKee. J Cancer Educ 2021 Oct;36(5):1039-1044. doi: 10.1007/s13187-020-01731-3
2. Randomized Trial of a Web-Based Intervention to Address Barriers to Clinical Trials Neal J Meropol,Yu-Ning Wong,Terrance Albrecht, Sharon Manne, Suzanne M Miller, Anne Lederman Flamm, Al Bowen Benson 3rd, Joanne Buzaglo, Michael Collins, Brian Egleston, Linda Fleisher, Michael Katz, Tyler G Kinzy, Tasnuva M Liu, Seunghee Margevicius, Dawn M Miller, David Poole,Nancy Roach, Eric Ross, Mark D Schluchter: J Clin Oncol .2016 Feb 10;34(5):469-78. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2015.63.2257. Epub 2015 Dec 23
2022 program news and updates
2022 program news and updates
Malnutrition in Cancer
National Nutrition Week will be held 16-23 October 2022 and is an opportunity to encourage your cancer patients to make healthy food and lifestyle choices by increasing their intake of vegetables in their day, to improve their overall health.
During cancer treatment, malnutrition can affect one in four cancer patients and is preventable and reversable.
This National Nutrition Week, we are reminding clinicians of the importance and benefits of screening and early intervention for malnutrition of this high-risk patient population group.
eviQ Education is a program of the Cancer Institute NSW and provides free, evidence-based cancer eLearning resources for health professionals.
The Malnutrition in Cancer eLearning module has been designed for multidisciplinary clinicians working in cancer services in the hospital and community setting. The module describes the prevalence of malnutrition in people with cancer, outlines the causes and contributors to cancer malnutrition and lists the consequences. The module addresses the cost and benefits of screening and early intervention.
Malnutrition in Cancer is designed to improve awareness, recognition and understanding of malnutrition and to ultimately improve screening and earlier management of this high-risk patient group.
The module has been developed by The Victorian Cancer Malnutrition Collaborative (VCMC) led by Peter Mac and is currently under review.
For more information, contact eviQ Education on eviqed@eviq.org.au.
Supporting patients through cancer treatment
While patients are under the care of a cancer specialist, there is still a significant role for primary health care providers. Patients need ongoing holistic care throughout the course of their cancer treatment. This includes supporting the person, carers and family in a culturally safe and responsive manner to ensure they access the right information and resources that promote informed decision-making and reduce uncertainty.
The Cancer Institute has a range of resources for primary health care providers such as Cancer treatment side effects: A guide for Aboriginal Health Workers. eviQ has a range of fact sheets with information to assist general practitioners in supporting patients.
The Patient Information portal provides a wealth of information for your patients. ‘TIPS’ - Team, Involvement, Plan, Support - is a four-point guide for patients to help them have conversations with their doctor, and ultimately help them to better manage their cancer care.
World Hepatitis Day 2022 - #HepCantWait
World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is observed internationally each year on 28 July and provides an opportunity to raise awareness and promote action on viral hepatitis. It is estimated that 335,000 people in Australia are living with hepatitis B or hepatitis C.
‘Hepatitis Can’t Wait’ is the global campaign theme for World Hepatitis Day 2022. It highlights the need to accelerate the fight against viral hepatitis and the importance of testing and treatment for the people who need it.
COVID-19 has significantly interrupted hepatitis screening and hepatitis B monitoring. In 2020, there was a 9.4% decrease in hepatitis C notifications and a 7.6% decrease in hepatitis C antibody tests in NSW compared to 2019. Over the same period, there was a 7% decrease in hepatitis B viral load tests and a 3.2% increase of residents dispensed hepatitis B treatments in NSW.
The NSW Hepatitis B Strategy 2014-2020 and the NSW Hepatitis C Strategy 2022 – 2025 outline key actions and targets to be achieved in NSW and describe how the NSW public system will work with general practitioners, non‑government organisations, community organisations, researchers and affected communities to form a coordinated response to hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
It is essential that primary care plays a greater role in testing, treatment and monitoring of hepatitis. Concise, clear, and practical resources can support GPs when screening for hepatitis and providing treatment.
The most common cause of primary liver cancer is chronic hepatitis B, a common viral infection carried in the blood and body fluids.
It can occur in higher rates in people from specific regions or countries. In Australia, it is the most common cause of primary liver cancer for:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations including people from Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Korea, Hong Kong and Macau
Liver cancer can also be reduced by changing preventable lifestyle choices including:
- drinking too much alcohol
- being overweight and obese
The following eviQ resources are available online to assist GPs manage and support patients impacted by liver cancer:
- treatment protocols for hepatic tumours on eviQ
- GP fact sheet on primary liver cancer and chronic hepatitis B
- Hepatitis B virus prophylaxis in immunocompromised adults
Patient information for liver cancer is also available on the Cancer Institute NSW website.
In April, our Cancer Conversations Webinar explored emerging treatments and care in hepatocellular carcinoma. Click here to watch the replay.
For more information, contact:
Kathryn Duggan, Primary Care Strategic Advisor, Cancer Institute NSW: cinsw-primarycare@health.nsw.gov.au
Celebrate International Clinical Trials Day May 20. Tell patients about cancer clinical trials!
World Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world in May to recognize the day that James Lind started what is often considered the first randomised clinical trial aboard a ship on May 20, 1747 in search of a treatment for scurvy.
Now 275 years later, Clinical Trials Day is about raising awareness for these trials, how they save lives, and how important they are in furthering medical research.
General practitioners can help raise awareness of cancer clinical trials amongst their patients and caregivers. Empowering patients at the time of their cancer diagnosis to explore and discuss clinical trials with specialists puts them at the centre of their treatment.
We invite GPs and their patients to use the Recruiting Cancer Clinical Trials in NSW search tool to identify cancer clinical trials, hospitals and contacts for clinical trials:
- Simple search by Cancer Type
- Search may include other keywords, location and age group
For more information, contact:
Niki Sansey, Clinical Trials Manager, Cancer Institute NSW. Niki.Sansey@health.nsw.gov.au
Adolescent and Young Adults with Cancer
There are approximately 330 adolescent and young adults (AYA) aged 15 to 25 diagnosed with cancer each year in NSW. Whilst this may appear a relatively low number, the impact diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship can have at these important life stages can be significant.
It is important for health professionals working with AYA to be aware of the physical, psychosocial, and developmental needs that a cancer diagnosis disrupt. Things like social withdrawal, loss of connection with peers, body image concerns (e.g. body changes, loss of hair, etc), mental health impacts, missed education and vocation, and distress during treatment can all occur if their additional needs are not met.
It is critical for AYA to have an ongoing and consistent relationship with a general practitioner (GP) and other primary care providers throughout their cancer care pathway.
A useful article titled ‘Adolescents, young adults and cancer: What GPs need to know’ contains important information for GPs wanting to know more about how to support AYA with cancer.
AYA Cancer Care Pathway
AYA with cancer should follow the Optimal Care Pathway for their particular tumour or cancer type, as well as be provided additional age-appropriate supports due to the particular life stages disrupted by a cancer diagnosis.
The Adolescents and young adults with cancer: Model of care for NSW/ACT was developed collaboratively by the Cancer Institute NSW, Ministry of Health, NSW Health and Act Health and outlines best practice care for AYA with cancer from diagnosis and initial treatment through to survivorship to meet their age appropriate needs. These age-appropriate needs include:
• psychosocial assessment and services
• fertility preservation and sexual health services
• assessment of eligibility for clinical trials
• coordinated care
• referral to community and hospital support services
• assistance with transition from the paediatric setting to the adult setting
• assessment of educational or vocational support.
Referral to a Youth Cancer Service (YCS) at diagnosis is recommended for all AYA, particularly complex cases. Any health professional including a GP can refer to a YCS.
Youth Cancer Services contact details
| Youth Cancer Service | Contact |
| Sydney YCS Collaboration between Prince of Wales and Sydney Children's Hospital located in Randwick |
(02) 9380 0945 |
| Western Sydney YCS Collaboration between Westmead Hospital and The Children's Hospital Westmead located in Westmead |
(02) 9845 2142 0408 732 714 |
| Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Sarcoma) A sarcoma-focussed service collaboration between Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Chris O'Brien Lifehouse located in Camperdown |
0467 730 463 |
| Hunter and Northern NSW YCS Collaboration between Calvary Mater Hospital and John Hunter Children's Hospital located in Newcastle |
(02) 4014 4682 0407 398 569 |
| Canberra YCS Located in the Canberra Hospital with strong links to Sydney YCS |
(02) 6174 5788 0478 401 535 |
Further information on YCS in NSW and ACT can be found on the Canteen website.
Established Referral Pathways
Note: the transport options available, and the AYA individual preference, may dictate alternative referral pathways.
Established referral pathways for AYA with cancer into YCS are outlined in the AYA with cancer: Model of Care for NSW/ACT.
| Referring local health district (LHD) / speciality health network | Youth Cancer Service |
| Central Coast LHD | Calvary Mater / Prince of Wales |
| Far West LHD | Adelaide / Prince of Wales |
| Hunter New England LHD | Calvary Mater |
| Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD | Prince of Wales |
| Mid North Coast LHD | Prince of Walers / Westmead / Calvary Mater |
| Murrimbidgee LHD | Westmead / Prince of Wales / Canberra |
| Nepean Blue Mountains LHD | Westmead |
| Northern NSW LHD | Brisbane |
| Northern Sydney LHD | Prince of Wales / Westmead |
| South Eastern Sydney LHD | Prince of Wales |
| South Western Sydney LHD | Westmead / Prince of Wales |
| Southern NSW LHD | Prince of Wales / Canberra |
| Sydney LHD | Prince of Wales / Westmead |
| Western NSW LHD | Westmead / Prince of Wales |
| Western Sydney LHD | Westmead |
| St Vincent's Health Network | Prince of Wales |
| ACT | Canberra |
Further information on supports available for young people with cancer can be found HERE
Information on support for specific cancer types can be found HERE
Primary Care For Young People - Skills Course
eviQ Education has developed an online 1.5 hour education module: Community-based cancer care for young people: the role of primary care nursing
The course is designed to advance primary care nursing knowledge and skills in the delivery of quality cancer care for young people.
Find out more about eviQ and eviQ Education.
Cancer information in multiple languages
It is important for patients to have correct and reliable information about cancer in their language.
The Cancer Institute NSW has produced flyers that summarise the available information translated in multiple languages, to help people understand cancer, cancer screening, how to stop smoking, and where to find information and support if they have cancer.
Health professionals can print the flyers from our website to support patients with information in the following languages: Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Visit the page to download language-specific flyers HERE
Visit our patient information portal for multicultural communities