The CSCN seeks to build and implement an Alberta Cancer Diagnosis program with single-point access for all cancer diagnosis pathways, timely access to appropriate diagnostic work-up and referrals, and links for patients to appropriate supportive care and educational resources.
CSCN is also co-designing and implementing provincial cancer diagnosis pathways to expedite and support patients with symptoms likely to have colorectal cancer and lymphoma.
The Cancer SCN collaborated with Dr. Nimira Alimohamed, an oncologist with the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, Susan Nguyen, a PaCER researcher and two-time bladder cancer survivor, and fellow PaCER researcher Marlyn Gill, who has familiarity with cancer and chronic disease. Together they set out to understand the experiences of people with bladder cancer.
In collaboration with Head and Neck surgical teams in Edmonton and Calgary, and the Critical Care and Surgery SCNs, a provincial clinical care pathway for HNC patients was developed to combine best practices, reduce inappropriate variation, and maximize value from existing capacity. This resulted in changes to perioperative care including a more consistent approach to pre- and post-operative education, the establishment of nutritional and mobilization protocols, the development of an automated monthly dashboard report, and significant improvements to health outcomes.
Identifying BRCA2 gene mutations early can impact treatment decisions, indicate risk for other cancers, and inform risks for cancer for family members. In collaboration with Hereditary Cancer Clinic (HCC) and Cancer Care Alberta, the CSCN implemented a new process, called Mainstreaming, to increase access to genetic testing for ovarian and breast cancer. By implementing Mainstreaming, oncology clinicians can order hereditary cancer genetic testing for ovarian cancer patients, bypassing the need for separate pre-test genetic counselling in the HCC. Information on project outcomes including wait-time metrics and cost-savings are available in the 2020 year-end report.
In collaboration with the Emergency Medicine Research Group, the CSCN worked with Emergency Departments (EDs) to identify patients with end-stage disease who needed palliative care and who presented to emergency; determine frequency of their hospital visits; investigate ED provider and patient perspectives on unmet end of life care needs; and conduct systematic literature reviews on effectiveness of ED-based palliative care screening tools and interventions.
With funding from Alberta Innovates Health Solutions’ Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Health System (PRIHS) the Cancer SCN focused on multidisciplinary team care for stage II and III rectal cancer patients. The project developed and implemented a rectal cancer clinical care pathway to address appropriate preoperative staging, consideration of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy, and appropriate surgery. The pathway was developed in collaboration with a multidisciplinary physician group (radiologists, surgeons, oncologists, and pathologists) as a comprehensive sequence of interventions tailored for local practice environments.
The Cancer SCN co-developed a Cancer Care Alberta treatment prioritization framework for pandemic contingency planning with provincial tumor teams and supportive care leads. The framework guides the delivery of CCA services (systemic therapy, radiation therapy and supportive care services) in the event of staff shortages during a pandemic. It does not include cancer services outside Cancer Care Alberta such as surgery. View Treatment Prioritization Framework.
