Rectal cancer specialist centres NSW

Criteria for a specialist rectal cancer centre

A rectal resection is surgery to remove of all or part of the rectum (the lower part of the large intestine or bowel). It is complex surgery, which requires a team of health care professionals with suitable experience performing this surgery and providing supportive care after surgery.[1]

International studies indicate that patient outcomes can be improved when rectal cancer surgery is performed in centres that do a high number of these procedures.[2-6]

It is recommended that specialist rectal cancer centres perform the minimum 12 rectal resections per year*

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

Multidisciplinary cancer care team

Patients with rectal cancer may have one or more types of treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The treatment of rectal cancer can be complex, and involvement of a multidisciplinary cancer care team is required.[1] International studies state that patients overseen by a multidisciplinary cancer care team experience better outcomes after cancer treatment. [7-10]

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.

Actions for Health Professionals

Actions for Health Professionals

Patient referral

Patients with a suspected or confirmed rectal 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 a 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.[13–14] Health professionals should discuss tobacco use with all patients and provide appropriate cessation support.

List of public specialist centres for rectal cancer surgery

Local health district

Hospital

Annual average rectal resection caseload 

Jan 2017 – Dec 2018

Sydney

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

61-80

Sydney

Concord Hospital

41-60

South Western Sydney

Bankstown / Lidcombe Hospital

21-40

Hunter New England

John Hunter Hospital

21-40

Nepean Blue Mountains

Nepean Hospital

21-40

South Eastern Sydney

St George Hospital

21-40

South Western Sydney

Liverpool Hospital

21-40

Illawarra Shoalhaven

Wollongong Hospital

21-40

Western Sydney

Westmead Hospital

21-40

Northern NSW 

The Tweed Hospital

21-40

South Eastern Sydney

Prince of Wales Hospital

21-40

Western Sydney

Blacktown Hospital

21-40

South Western Sydney

Campbelltown Hospital

12-40

Central Coast

Gosford Hospital

12-20

Northern Sydney

Royal North Shore Hospital

12-20

Mid North Coast

Port Macquarie Base Hospital

12-20

Hunter New England

Tamworth Base Hospital

12-20

Northern NSW

Lismore Base Hospital

12-20

Western NSW

Dubbo Base Hospital

12-20

Western NSW

Orange Health Service

12-20

Hunter New England

Maitland Hospital

12-20

  • Surgical caseload data sourced from Admitted Patient, Emergency Department Attendance, and Deaths Register (APEDDR) via Secure Analytics for Population Health Research and Intelligence (SAPHaRI), Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health.
  • In-scope diagnoses: C19, C20, C21
  • In-scope procedures: 32015-00, 32024-00, 32025-00, 32026-00, 32028-00, 32030-00, 32030-01, 32039-00, 32047-00, 32051-00, 32051-01, 32060-00, 32112-00, 92208-00
  • The annual average surgical caseload is based on a two-year average, to account for annual variations in surgical volumes.
  • Port Macquarie Base Hospital listed based on 2017 caseload only.

List of private specialist centres for rectal cancer surgery

Local health district

Hospital*

Annual average rectal resection caseload 

Jul 2016 – Jun 2018

Northern Sydney

Sydney Adventist Hospital

41-60

South Eastern Sydney

Hurstville Private Hospital

21-40

South Eastern Sydney

St George Private Hospital

21-40

Northern Sydney

Macquarie University Hospital

21-40

Sydney

Chris O'Brien Lifehouse

21-40

South Eastern Sydney

Prince of Wales21-40

Central Coast

Gosford Private Hospital

12-40

Western Sydney

Norwest Private Hospital

12-40

Northern Sydney

North Shore Private Hospital

12-40

St Vincent's Private Hospital, Darlinghurst

St Vincent's Private Hospital, Darlinghurst

12-20

Northern Sydney

Mater Hospital North Sydney

12-20

Western Sydney

Lakeview Private Hospital (previously known as Hospital for Specialist Surgery)

12-20

South Eastern Sydney

Kareena Private Hospital

12-20

SydneyStrathfield Private Hospital12-20

Western Sydney

Westmead Private Hospital

12-20

  • Surgical caseload data sourced from Admitted Patient, Emergency Department Attendance, and Deaths Register (APEDDR) via Secure Analytics for Population Health Research and Intelligence (SAPHaRI), Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health.
  • In-scope diagnoses: C19, C20, C21
  • In-scope procedures: 32015-00, 32024-00, 32025-00, 32026-00, 32028-00, 32030-00, 32030-01, 32039-00, 32047-00, 32051-00, 32051-01, 32060-00, 32112-00, 92208-00
  • The annual average surgical caseload is based on a two-year average, to account for annual variations in surgical volumes.

*Private specialists centres listed have given permission to be included on the Cancer Institute NSW website.

References

  1.  Department of Health and Human Services. Optimal care pathway for people with colorectal cancer. State Government of Victoria, Melbourne. 2016.
  2.  Armstrong K, et al. The New South Wales Colorectal Cancer Care Survey 2000-Part 1 surgical management. Cancer Council NSW, Sydney. 2004.
  3. Baek JH, et al. The association of hospital volume with rectal cancer surgery outcomes. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2013. 28(2):191-6.
  4. Huo YR, et al. Systematic review and a meta-analysis of hospital and surgeon volume/outcome relationships in colorectal cancer surgery. J Gastrointest Oncol. 2017. 8(3):534.
  5. Schrag D, et al. Influence of hospital procedure volume on outcomes following surgery for colon cancer. JAMA. 2000. 284(23):3028-35.
  6. Hodgson DC, et al. Surgery and Survival in Rectal Cancer: Benefits of High-Volume Hospitals. J Clin Outcomes Manag. 2003. 10(7):361-2.
  7. Munro A, et al. Do Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) processes influence survival in patients with colorectal cancer? A population-based experience. BMC Cancer. 2015. 15(1):686.
  8. Obias VJ, and Reynolds HL Jr. Multidisciplinary teams in the management of rectal cancer. Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2007. 20(3):143.
  9. Lan YT, et al. Effects of a multidisciplinary team on colorectal cancer treatment. Formos J Surg. 2015. 48(5):145-50.
  10. MacDermid E, et al. Improving patient survival with the colorectal cancer multi‐disciplinary team. Colorectal Dis. 2009. 11(3):291-5.
  11. Karam-Hage M, et al. Tobacco use and cessation for cancer survivors: an overview for clinicians. CA Cancer J Clin. 2014. 64(4):272-90.
  12. 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):e568-80.
  13. Florou AN, et al. Clinical significance of smoking cessation in subjects with cancer: a 30-year review. Respir Care. 2014. 59(12):1924-36.
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