Resources for health professionals

This Tip Sheet provides practical advice for cancer care specialists and other health professionals to optimise culturally safe and responsive communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, their families and carers.

https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/system/tdf/publications/culturally-safe-communication-skills-non-indigenous-health-professionals-tip-sheet/pdf/culturally-safe-communication-skills-tips-for-non-indigenous-health-professionals.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=12454

This guide indicates steps to be taken in investigating symptoms that could be breast cancer, and provides information about the triple test approach to diagnosis. This resource is an update of the 2017 publication of the same title.

https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/system/tdf/publications/investigation-new-breast-symptom-guide-general-practitioners/pdf/investigation-of-a-new-breast-symptom-a-guide-for-general-practitioners.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=12436

This report provides findings from an analysis of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) data to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on cancer-related medical services and procedures in Australia. This report examines the cumulative number of services observed for January 2020 to December 2020, compared to the expected number of services expected from trends in historical numbers for the period 2017–2019, for 14 cancer types: breast, colorectal, lung, prostate, melanoma, stomach, kidney, pancreatic, liver, uterine, ovarian, cervical, vaginal, and vulval cancer.

https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/system/tdf/publications/impact-covid-19-cancer-related-medical-services-and-procedures-australia-2020-examination-mbs-claims/pdf/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-cancer-services-in-australia-in-2020.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=12433

This report provides findings from an analysis of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) data for the months January 2020 to June 2020 to understand where changes in the number of cancer-related services have occurred, and the types of services affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. These analyses focus on changes in cancer-related diagnostic and treatment procedures for lung and prostate cancers.

https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/system/tdf/publications/review-impact-covid-19-medical-services-and-procedures-australia-utilising-mbs-data-lung-and/pdf/review_of_the_impact_of_covid-19_on_medical_services_and_procedures_in_australia_utilising_mbs_data_lung_and_prostate_camcers.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=12312

This information is for women who have been treated for early breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and their carers. It provides information about shared follow-up and survivorship care, including the benefits of shared care and who is involved.

https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/system/tdf/publications/information-women-shared-follow-and-survivorship-care-early-breast-cancer/pdf/scbcw_information_for_women.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=12311

This document contains the 200 recommendations and practice points that comprise the Guidance for the management of early breast cancer. The Guidance has been developed as an essential resource for health professionals involved in the management of women and men with breast cancer. It updates and replaces in full or in part Cancer Australia’s 2001 Clinical Practice Gguidelines for the management of breast cancer in women and various subsequent topic-specific updates.

This Guidance has been developed to meet the need for comprehensive, up-to-date, evidence-based guidance that encompasses management of early breast cancer from the point of diagnosis.

The Guidance is also presented in a user-friendly, accessible format on a Cancer Australia featured site at www.guidancebreastcancer.gov.au.

https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/system/tdf/publications/guidance-management-early-breast-cancer-recommendations-and-practice-points/pdf/guidance_for_the_management_of_early_breast_cancer_recommendations_and_pps_2020_0.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=12303

This reportdescribes the approach taken to develop the Guidance for the Managment of the early breast cancer.

https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/system/tdf/publications/guidance-management-early-breast-cancer-methods/pdf/guidance_for_the_management_of_early_breast_cancer_methods_2020.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=12301

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted unprecedented changes in cancer care across the cancer care pathway and in many parts of the oncology sector. This report describes elements of cancer care which have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic; the impacts of these changes; and targeted strategies (at the system-level, service-level, practitioner-level, and patient-level) to retain, enhance, and embed high-value changes into practice. These targeted strategies are provided to prompt considerations and future approaches to support high-value cancer care in the recovery phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/system/tdf/publications/covid-19-recovery-implications-cancer-care/pdf/covid19-recovery-implications-cancer-care_1.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=12297

This report provides findings from an analysis of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) for the months January 2020 to June 2020 to understand where changes in the number of cancer-related services have occurred, and the types of services affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current analyses focus on changes in cancer-related diagnostic and treatment procedures for skin, breast and colorectal cancers, and selected professional attendances using MBS item numbers including the new telehealth services made available during the pandemic.

https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/system/tdf/publications/review-impact-covid-19-medical-services-and-procedures-australia-utilising-mbs-data-skin-breast-and/pdf/review-of-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-medical-services-and-procedures-in-australia-utilising-mbs-data.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=12293