Overview

COSA has embarked on an exciting new project funded by Cancer Australia: the development of an Optimal Care Pathway (OCP) for Older People with Cancer. The OCP’s are a key component of the Australian Cancer Plan, aiming to provide a framework for the delivery of consistent, safe, high-quality, and evidence-based care for people with cancer.

Details on this project

This project will be led by Co-Chairs Professor Meera Agar and A/Professor Christopher Steer, guiding a multidisciplinary expert working group which will include members of the COSA Geriatric Oncology Group Executive.

The vast majority of people living with cancer in Australia are older adults. Despite this, there is no standardised care pathway for older people with cancer that integrates key geriatric oncology principles, which are essential for understanding and providing the optimal care for this patient population. While cancer outcomes in Australia are among the best in the world, significant age-related disparities exist in the standards of cancer care and patient outcomes depending on where someone lives or receives cancer treatment across the country. The Australian Cancer Plan has been designed to improve cancer outcomes for all Australians. Older adults, in particular, have been identified as a priority group whose health outcomes need improvement.

An Optimal Care Pathway (OCP) for older people with cancer is needed to reduce disparities between older people with cancer and their younger counterparts. This OCP will map the cancer journey for an older person with cancer in Australia, identifying the specific steps and critical points along the care pathway in order to promote high-quality, evidence-based cancer care, and to improve patient experiences and outcomes. This framework will offer clinicians an insight into an "optimal" pathway for treating their patients, allowing them to make informed clinical decisions during each step of treatment. The integration of geriatric oncology principles into the OCP framework will achieve patient-centred, collaborative, equity-focused and evidence-based care for a substantial proportion of older people with cancer in Australia.

An OCP for Older People with Cancer is an important priority to deliver on the goals, actions, and strategic objectives of the Australian Cancer Plan. An OCP for Older People with Cancer will address the ageism that is often embedded in our health systems today. By shifting our cultural attitudes towards older adults, we can achieve patient-centred, equity-focused, age-friendly care.

You can find more information about the other OCPs already published on the Cancer Council website.