The Optimal Care Pathway
for people with NETs is here

Optimal Care Pathway

The best cancer journey for NET cancers.

To improve the care and experience of Neuroendocrine Tumour (NET) patients across Australia, an Optimal Care Pathway (OCP) is now available to ensure NET patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place.

The OCP is a framework for the delivery of consistent, safe, high-quality, and evidence-based care for people with NET cancer. Covering every step from prevention and early detection through to recovery, living with a chronic disease, or end-of-life-care, it aims to improve patient outcomes through promoting quality cancer care and ensuring that all people diagnosed with a NET cancer receive the best care, irrespective of where they live or whether they receive cancer treatment.

Dorothy Keefe, CEO Cancer Australia introducing the Optimal Care Pathway.

The Optimal Care Pathway aims to:

Assist health professionals to provide optimal care and support people with cancer, their
families and carers
Provide optimal timeframes for delivering evidence-based care
Emphasise the importance of communication and collaboration between health providers and people affected by cancer
Assist and inform new health professionals or trainees who are entering the cancer care
workforce
Provide value to health systems to identify gaps in current cancer services, bring about quality improvement initiatives and improve how services are planned and coordinated.

Optimal Care Pathways define seven steps in the patient experience.

Each step outlines nationally agreed best practice to achieve quality cancer care. While the steps appear linear, in practice, patient care depends on the particular situation which can change over time.

Step 1

Prevention and early detection

Step 2

Presentation, initial investigations and referral

Step 3

Diagnosis, staging and treatment planning

Step 4

Treatment

Step 5

Follow-up care after treatment and recovery

Step 6

Managing recurrent, residual or metastatic disease

Step 7

End-of-life care

Additional Resources

In addition to the Optimal Care Pathway, a Guide to Best Cancer Care, for patients and a Quick Reference Guide for health care professionals has also been developed, to help guide, support and inform both NET patients, carers and familiies, as well as health professionals on the best steps forward.

For Patients, Carers & Families

From NETs diagnosis, to treatment and beyond the Guide to Best Cancer Care will help you understand what to expect, every step of the way.

For Health Professionals

The Quick Reference Guide provides a summary of the Optimal Care Pathway for health professionals and health services.

The new Optimal Care Pathway for neuroendocrine cancer will greatly improve the care and experience of patients with this complex disease. By providing coordinated, personalised, and evidence-based care, patients will have the best possible outcome and quality of life.

Developed in collaboration with a range of experts, including Cancer Australia, NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia, Cancer Council, as well as clinicians, patient representatives, and other stakeholders, the OCP is a much needed resource for our community and we thank all contributors for their time.

The Optimal Care Pathway for people with NETs is here