Rectal cancer surgery specialist centres NSW
Criteria for a specialist rectal cancer centre
A rectal resection is surgery to remove of all or part of the rectum (the lower part of the large intestine or bowel). It is complex surgery, which requires a team of health care professionals with suitable experience performing this surgery and providing supportive care after surgery.[1]
International studies indicate that patient outcomes can be improved when rectal cancer surgery is performed in centres that do a high number of these procedures.[2]
It is recommended that specialist rectal cancer centres perform the minimum 12 rectal resections per year*
* This minimum suggested annual surgical caseload has been selected based on the hospital-level distribution of rectal cancer resections in NSW.
Multidisciplinary cancer care team
Patients with rectal cancer may have one or more types of treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.[3]
The treatment of rectal cancer can be complex, and involvement of a multidisciplinary cancer care team is required.[3] International studies state that patients overseen by a multidisciplinary cancer care team experience better outcomes after cancer treatment.[3-5]
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.
Actions for Health Professionals
Patient referral
Patients with a suspected or confirmed rectal 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 a 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.[6-7] Health professionals should discuss tobacco use with all patients and provide appropriate cessation support.
List of public specialist centres for rectal cancer surgery
List of private specialist centres for rectal cancer surgery
| Local health district | Hospital | Annual average rectal resection caseload Jul 2020 – Jun 2022 | Multidisciplinary cancer care team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Chris O'Brien Lifehouse | 21-40 | Royal Prince Alfred and Lifehouse Colorectal Cancer MDT |
| Northern Sydney | Macquarie University | 21-40 | Macquarie University Hospital Cancer Program Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer MDT |
| South Eastern Sydney | St George Private | 21-40 | St George Cancer Care Centre Colorectal Cancer MDT |
Northern Sydney | Sydney Adventist Private | 21-40 | Sydney Adventist Hospital Gastrointestinal Cancer MDT |
| Western Sydney | Norwest Private | 21-40 | Norwest Private Hospital Gastrointestinal Cancer MDT |
| Hunter New England | Newcastle Private | 21-40 | Hunter New England Rectal Cancer MDT |
Northern Sydney | North Shore Private | 12-40 | Royal North Shore Hospital Colorectal Cancer MDT |
South Eastern Sydney | St Vincent's Private | 12-20 | The Kinghorn Cancer Centre Colorectal Cancer MDT |
| Central Coast | Gosford Private Hospital | 12-20 | Gosford Hospital Colorectal and Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer MDT |
| South Eastern Sydney | Prince of Wales Private | 12-20 | Prince of Wales Colorectal Cancer MDT |
| South Eastern Sydney | Hurstville Private Hospital | 12-20 | - |
| Nepean Blue Mountains | Nepean Private | 12-20 | Nepean Cancer Care Centre Lower Gastrointestinal 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: C18, C19, C20
- In-scope procedures: 30515-04, 30515-06,32003-02,32000-02,32003-03,32000-03,32005-03,32004-03,32006-02,32006-03,32005-02,32004-02,32012-01,32009-01,32030-01,30390-00,30393-00,30515-03,30515-05,32003-00,32000-00,32003-01,32000-01,32005-01,32004-01,32006-00,32006-01,32005-00,32004-00,32012-00,32009-00,32030-00,32060-00,32024-00,92208-00,32015-00,32051-00,32051-01,32051-02,32051-03,32039-00,32025-00,32026-00,32028-00,30390-00,30393-00,96211-00,90450-00,90450-01,90450-02,90343-01
References
- Wilkinson N. Management of rectal cancer. Surgical Clinics. 2020;100(3):615-28.
- Chioreso C, Del Vecchio N, Schweizer ML, Schlichting J, Gribovskaja-Rupp I, Charlton ME. The association between hospital and surgeon volume and rectal cancer surgery outcomes in rectal cancer patients treated since 2000: systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum. 2018;61(11):1320.
- Keller DS, Berho M, Perez RO, Wexner SD, Chand M. The multidisciplinary management of rectal cancer. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2020;17(7):414-29.
- Harji D, Houston F, Cutforth I, Hawthornthwaite E, McKigney N, Sharpe A, et al. The impact of multidisciplinary team decision-making in locally advanced and recurrent rectal cancer. The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England. 2022;104(8):611-7.
- Vaughan‐Shaw P, Wheeler J, Borley N. The impact of a dedicated multidisciplinary team on the management of early rectal cancer. Colorectal Disease. 2015;17(8):704-9.
- 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.
