Introduction
Oesophagogastric cancer is associated with a poor prognosis with five-year survival rates at 23% for oesophageal cancer and 38% for gastric cancer1. The Gippsland region has a significantly lower five-year survival rate compared to the national average2.
The ‘Optimal Care Pathway for People with Oesophagogastric Cancer’ (OCP)4 is a national guideline that defines the best course of care for patients with oesophagogastric cancer. This study aims to examine the disparities between the care provided and the OCP timelines within the current care system.
Method
A retrospective review was conducted on patients with oesophagogastric cancer using data extracted from the existing Gippsland Cancer Redcap Database over the 2023 calendar year. Collection of patient data primarily focused on clinical timeframes, including time of referral to commencement of first treatment. In addition, patient information including demographic characteristics, clinical variables and circumstances at the point of referral to treatment were recorded.
Results
A total of 28 patients with sufficient data for analysis were identified. Preliminary findings indicate that only 65% of these patients achieved the two-week target for completing workup staging in preparation for MDM presentation. The main delays were in the time from referral to completion of staging. Time from complete staging to first treatment times were usually within the 14 day time frame. Data collection and analysis are ongoing and expected to be completed by September 2024.
Conclusion
Preliminary analysis highlights significant challenges in meeting OCP timelines. The significant delays to diagnosis and staging were mainly due to; limited access to medical specialist and diagnostics procedures not available in the region and lack of cohesive coordination of patient appointments at different healthcare providers
Addressing these challenges will require a multi-faceted approach. An oesophagogastric cancer coordinator may help by streamlining appointments and procedures between healthcare providers.