Neurological cancer surgery specialist centres
Criteria for a specialist neurological cancer centre
Primary neurological cancer is also referred to as cancer of the brain or spinal cord.[1-2] Treatment for brain or spinal cord cancer may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, emerging therapies or palliative care. Many people with neurological cancer have a combination of these treatments.[1-2]
It is recommended that specialist neurological cancer centres meet the following criteria:
- perform 12 resections per year* and
- have a multidisciplinary cancer care team listed on Canrefer
* This minimum suggested annual surgical caseload has been selected based on the hospital-level distribution of neurological cancer resections in NSW.
Multidisciplinary cancer care team
All people diagnosed with neurological cancer should have their care overseen by a multidisciplinary cancer care team to develop an integrated and individualised treatment management plan. [3–to4]
The involvement of a multidisciplinary cancer care team is required. [3–to4] This team brings together health care professionals from different specialties to discuss a patient’s cancer diagnosis and staging, and their treatment options. It also enhances communication and care co-ordination between the specialists involved in a patient’s care.
Australian and international studies state that patients overseen by a multidisciplinary cancer care team experience better outcomes after cancer treatment.
Actions for Health Professionals
Patient referral
Patients with a suspected or confirmed neurological cancer should be referred to a specialist who is a member of a multidisciplinary cancer care team, and practices at one of the specialist centres listed below.
Even if surgery does not seem likely at the time of referral, involvement of an appropriate multidisciplinary team (MDT) early in the cancer journey is recommended to ensure optimal assessment, care, and outcomes.
The Canrefer website allows you to find cancer specialists who are MDT members, and has information about cancer services, optimal care pathways, and patient resources.
Smoking cessation support
Evidence suggests that tobacco cessation following cancer diagnosis improves survival. It also reduces treatment-related complications.[5-6] Health professionals should discuss tobacco use with all patients and provide appropriate cessation support.
List of public specialist centres for neurological cancer surgery
List of private specialist centres for neurological cancer surgery
| Local health district | Hospital | Annual average neurological resection caseload Jul 2020 - Jun 2022 | Multidisciplinary cancer care team |
|---|---|---|---|
South Eastern Sydney | Prince of Wales Private | 41-60 | Prince of Wales Neuro-oncology and Pituitary MDT |
Western Sydney | Westmead Private | 41-60 | Western Sydney Local Health District Neurological Cancer MDT |
Northern Sydney | North Shore Private | 21-40 | Royal North Shore Hospital Neurological Cancer MDT |
South Eastern Sydney | St George Private | 21-40 | St George and Sutherland Hospitals Neurological Cancer MDT |
South Eastern Sydney | St Vincent's Private | 21-40 | The Kinghorn Cancer Centre Neurological Cancer MDT |
Sydney | Chris O'Brien Lifehouse | 21-40 | Royal North Shore Hospital Neurological Cancer MDT |
Northern Sydney | Macquarie University | 12-20 | Macquarie University Hospital Cancer Program Neurological Cancer MDT |
Codes
- Surgical caseload data sourced from Admitted Patient, Emergency Department Attendance, and Deaths Register (APEDDR) via Secure Analytics for Population Health Research and Intelligence (SAPHaRI), Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health.
- In-scope diagnoses: C71, C72.8, C72.9, C79.3
- In-scope procedures: 39640-00,39642-00,39646-00,41581-00,39650-00 ,90032-00,39653-00,39658-00,39660-02,39662-02 ,39709-00,39709-01,39709-02,39712-3 ,39712-04,41575-00
References
- Ogunlade J, Wiginton IV JG, Elia C, Odell T, Rao SC, Wiginton IV J. Primary spinal astrocytomas: a literature review. Cureus. 2019;11(7).
- McFaline-Figueroa JR, Lee EQ. Brain tumors. The American journal of medicine. 2018;131(8):874-82.
- Ameratunga M, Miller D, Ng W, Wada M, Gonzalvo A, Cher L, et al. A single-institution prospective evaluation of a neuro-oncology multidisciplinary team meeting. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 2018;56:127-30.
- Loh D, Hogg F, Edwards P, MacColl J, Brogna C, Bhangoo R, et al. Two-year experience of multi-disciplinary team (MDT) outcomes for brain metastases in a tertiary neuro-oncology centre. British Journal of Neurosurgery. 2018;32(1):53-60.
- Jassem J. Tobacco smoking after diagnosis of cancer: clinical aspects. Translational lung cancer research. 2019;8(Suppl 1):S50.
- Warren GW, Alberg AJ, Cummings KM, Dresler C. Smoking cessation after a cancer diagnosis is associated with improved survival. Journal of Thoracic Oncology. 2020;15(5):705-8.