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e-newsletter | June 2022
Supporting your patient's choice: the expansion of cervical screening self-collection
From 1 July 2022, current eligibility criteria for access to self-collection under the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) self-collection policy will be removed. This change means that self-collection will be available to all women and people with a cervix under the NCSP and will no longer be restricted to under or never-screened women. Expanding the self-collection policy will give participants a choice in screening method – either self-collected or clinician collected – both of which are still accessed through a health professional. At this webinar, Gynaecologic Oncologist, Dr Emma Allanson will discuss the change to the self-collection guidelines, as well as the evidence to support such a change. Medical Scientist, Rossemarie Ramirez-Avalos will discuss the requirements for requesting and processing self-collected tests from pathology laboratories.
Date: Thursday, 23 June 2022
Time: 7.00 - 8.00pm
This activity is pending accreditation under ACRRM PDP, and the RACGP CPD Program - Activity ID: 348707
Past event recordings available
All cancer education webinars are recorded and made available on the general practice education webpage.
- Cancer in childhood: Late effects and survivorship
- Colonoscopy: The full picture
- With the end in mind: Palliative care & voluntary assisted dying
- Neck lumps: When to be suspicious and what to do next
- Investigation and management of incidentally detected renal masses
- Coming soon – Let’s talk about sex (and cancer)
- Coming soon – Taboo topics: talking to clients about cancer, nutrition, and complementary therapies
- Coming soon – Prescribing and dosing exercise for cancer patients
- Coming soon – Promoting good oral health can help reduce your cancer risk? It’s the tooth
Free palliative care education and training opportunities for GPs
Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA) provides an opportunity for those working in primary care to develop skills in palliative care by undertaking a free supervised observational placement within a specialist palliative care service. Four-day regional and metropolitan placements are available from July 2022. Financial support is available to assist with travel, accommodation, and reimbursement towards professional development costs. Placements are eligible for up to 40 CPD points.
For more information please contact pepa@cancerwa.asn.au or call 9382 9372 to register your interest.
Find Cancer Early: Addressing COVID-19 barriers to finding cancer early
Data worldwide demonstrates a delay in doctor visits, as well as missed, delayed, or decreased cancer diagnosis due to COVID-19. Find Cancer Early has launched a new social media campaign to encourage people over 40 years in regional Western Australia to see their health professional with any new or persistent symptom that could be cancer, and address concerns about accessing medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional general practitioners may notice an increase in the number of patients visiting clinics to discuss possible cancer symptoms.
To support regional health professionals, the Find Cancer Early: A Guide for General Practitioners can assist in the early diagnosis of patients with colorectal, lung, prostate, breast, and skin cancers. The resource uses evidence-based positive predictive value (PPV) tables that highlight the clinical features that best predict cancer. This guide is not intended to replace clinical judgment, the need for a thorough patient and family history, or the importance of assessing an individual’s risk factors.
National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP): Expansion to screen via self-collection
To improve participation rates and help Australia reach the World Health Organisation’s global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health issue by 2030, the eligibility criteria for cervical screening is set to be expanded to all Australian people with a cervix from 1 July 2022. The change is anticipated to improve participation, especially for those subgroups of patients who are under-screened.
To prepare health professionals for the upcoming changes to the National Cervical Screening Program, the national cervical cancer clinical guidelines have been updated. The updated guidelines bring together the best available evidence to prevent, diagnose, and manage cervical cancer, providing recommendations for specific situations, such as in people displaying symptoms and in some follow-up settings where a co-test (HPV test and a cytology test) is required. The guidelines come into effect on 1 July 2022.
New advice recommends additional COVID-19 winter booster (5th dose) for cancer patients
Severely immunocompromised people, including people aged 16 years and over, are now recommended to have their COVID-19 winter booster vaccine. For people who are at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends an additional booster dose known as the “winter booster dose” 4 months after the 1st booster dose. This includes:
- People aged 16 years or older who are severely immunocompromised, such as people with cancer who are receiving chemotherapy;
- Adults aged 65 years or older;
- Residents of aged care or disability care facilities; and
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years or older.
Information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about COVID-19 vaccines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by cancer has also been developed by Cancer Australia. View the FAQs.
Our Cancer Nurses can help general practice health professionals and their patients with evidence-based cancer advice and support. Speak to our Cancer Nurses on 13 11 20.
