Colon cancer surgery specialist centres

Criteria for a specialist colon cancer centre

Surgery is the main treatment for colon cancer along with adjuvant chemotherapy if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. [1–2]

Colon cancer resection is a surgery performed in health facilities across NSW. Patients may benefit from undergoing surgery closer to home in facilities equipped to undertake these procedures, and with access to a multidisciplinary cancer care team for colon cancer.

It is recommended that specialist colon cancer centres meet the following criteria perform 12 resections per year* and have a multidisciplinary cancer care team listed on Canrefer.

* This minimum suggested annual surgical caseload has been selected based on the hospital-level distribution of Colon cancer resections in NSW.

Multidisciplinary cancer care team

All people diagnosed with Colon cancer should have their care overseen by a multidisciplinary cancer care team to develop an integrated and individualised treatment management plan. [3]

The involvement of a multidisciplinary cancer care team is required. [3] 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.

Australian and international studies state that patients overseen by a multidisciplinary cancer care team experience better outcomes after cancer treatment.[3]

Actions for Health Professionals

Patient referral

Patients with a suspected or confirmed colon 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 an appropriate 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.[4-6] Health professionals should discuss tobacco use with all patients and provide appropriate cessation support.

List of public specialist centres for Colon cancer surgery

Local Health District	Hospital Name	Annual average colon resection caseload Jan 2020 - Dec 2021
Sydney LH	Royal Prince Alfred	121-140
South Eastern Sydney	St George	101-120
Illawarra Shoalhaven LH	Wollongong	81-100
Hunter New England	John Hunter	61-80
South Western Sydney LHD	Bankstown / Lidcombe	61-80
Sydney LHD	Concord	61-80
Western Sydney LHD	Westmead	61-80
South Western Sydney LHD	Liverpool	61-80
Western Sydney LHD	Blacktown	61-80
Nepean Blue Mountains LHD	Nepean	41-60
South Western Sydney LHD	Campbelltown	41-60
South Eastern Sydney LHD	Prince of Wales	41-60
Mid North Coast LHD	Coffs Harbour Base	41-60
Central Coast LHD	Gosford	41-60
Northern NSW LHD	Lismore Base	41-60
Central Coast LHD	Wyong	41-60
Northern NSW LHD	The Tweed	21-40
Murrumbidgee LHD	Wagga Wagga Base	21-40
Northern Sydney LHD	Royal North Shore	21-40
Western NSW LHD	Dubbo Base	21-40
Hunter New England LHD	Maitland	21-40
Mid North Coast LHD	Port Macquarie Base	21-40
Hunter New England LHD	Tamworth Base	21-40
Hunter New England LHD	Manning Base	21-40
Western NSW LHD	Orange Health Service	21-40
Hunter New England LHD	Calvary Mater Newcastle	21-40
St Vincent's Health Network	St Vincents Hospital, Darlinghurst	21-40
Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD	Shoalhaven and District Memorial	21-40
Western NSW LHD	Bathurst Base	21-40
South Eastern Sydney LHD	Sutherland	21-40
Northern Sydney LHD	Hornsby and Ku-Ring-Gai	12-20
Northern Sydney LHD	Ryde	12-20
Northern NSW LHD	Grafton Base	12-20
Murrumbidgee LHD	Griffith Base	12-20
Southern NSW LHD	Goulburn Base	12-20
Southern NSW LHD	South East Regional	12-20

List of private specialist centres for Colon cancer surgery surgery

Local Health District	Hospital Name	Annual average colon resection caseload Jul 2019 - Jun 2021
Northern Sydney PRIV	Sydney Adventist Private	100-120
Hunter New England PRIV	Newcastle Private	81-100
Central Coast PRIV	Gosford Private	61-80
Sydney PRIV	Chris O'Brien Lifehouse	41-60
South Eastern Sydney PRIV	St George Private	41-60
Northern Sydney PRIV	North Shore Private	41-60
Northern Sydney PRIV	Northern Beaches	41-60
South Eastern Sydney PRIV	St Vincent's Private	41-60
Western Sydney PRIV	Norwest Private	41-60
South Eastern Sydney PRIV	Prince of Wales Private	41-60
Northern Sydney PRIV	Macquarie University	21-40
Nepean Blue Mountains PRIV	Nepean Private	21-40
Western Sydney PRIV	Westmead Private	21-40
Murrumbidgee PRIV	Calvary Private Hospital, Wagga Wagga	21-40
Murrumbidgee PRIV	Albury Wodonga Private	21-40
Northern NSW PRIV	St Vincent's Private Hospital, Lismore	21-40
Northern Sydney PRIV	Mater North Sydney	12-20
South Western Sydney PRIV	Southern Highlands Private	12-20
Hunter New England PRIV	Lake Macquarie Private	12-20

_Source(s):

Cancer Council Victoria. Optimal care pathway for people with colorectal cancer: second edition [Internet]. Melbourne, VIC. 2021; accessed 17 Aug 2022. Available from: https://www.cancervic.org.au/downloads/health-professionals/ocp/CC%20OCP%20Colorectal%202021%202nd%20Ed.pdf.
Cancer Council NSW. Treatment for early bowel cancer [Internet]. Sydney NSW. 2021; accessed 24 Aug 2022. Available from: https://www. cancercouncil.com.au/bowel-cancer/treatment
Huo YR, Phan K, Morris DL et al. Systematic review and a meta-analysis of hospital and surgeon volume/outcome relationships in colorectal cancer surgery. J Gastrointest Oncol. 2017 Jun; 8(3): 534-456. doi: 10.21037/jgo.2017.01.25
Karam-Hage M, et al. Tobacco use and cessation for cancer survivors: an overview for clinicians. CA Cancer J Clin. 2014. 64(4):272–to90.
Warren GW, et al. The biological and clinical effects of smoking by patients with cancer and strategies to implement evidence-based tobacco cessation support. Lancet Oncol. 2014. 15(12):e568–to80.
Florou AN, et al. Clinical significance of smoking cessation in subjects with cancer: a 30-year review. Respir Care. 2014. 59(12):1924–to36.