Global Oncology Group Report

Projects

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea Projects

Port Moresby General Hospital Cancer Centre (POMGEN)

• • The Cancer Centre Commissioning has been pushed out to the third quarter of 2025 with radiotherapy and chemotherapy facilities.
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  • In February 2023, medical oncologist, Dr Peter Olali, visited The Canberra Hospital and in June-July 2023 four oncology nurses from PNG had clinical placement at The Canberra Hospital. Following on from the visits, with support from cancer pharmacists in chemotherapy reconstitution, a cytotoxic workflow with use of proper PPE and a laminar flow hood has been established at POMGEN.
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  • Retired Radiation Oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant Pauline Rose has been facilitating nursing mentoring and training and the Papua New Guinea Oncology Nurses Association has been established extending the reach of the education program.
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  • Pauline Rose and Andrew Dimech (PeterMac Director of Nursing) will be developing a curriculum for a new Graduate Certificate in Oncology at the Port Moresby University Hospital of Medical, Nursing and Health Sciences School of Nursing.
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  • The COSA Cancer Pharmacists Group, led by Marissa Ryan and Geeta Sandhu, continues to mentor POMGEN pharmacists and supported one pharmacist to attend the COSA CPG Foundation Chemotherapy Course in Brisbane. An SOP has been developed for Oncology Pharmacy Practice at PNG and a WhatsApp group has been set up to connect local pharmacists involved in cytotoxic handling.
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  • A registrar at ANGAU Memorial Hospital in Lae and a nurse at POMGEN successfully completed the American Society of Clinical Oncology Palliative Care eCourse.
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  • POMGEN hosted in-country visits by International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP-Oceania) multidisciplinary team on cytotoxic administration and paediatric palliative care.

Papua New Guinea National Cancer Centre

• • Several meetings have been held with the Médecins Sans Frontieres project coordinator for the PNG National Cancer Centre looking at the feasibility of implementing the cancer care continuum from prevention to palliative care at ANGAU Hospital in Lae, Morobe Province.
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  • In 2024, a Cobalt-60 source has been commissioned to provide radiotherapy.

New Britain

• • The Mustard Seed Global project for upskilling mobile paramedical health care workers (Bush Angels) to facilitate early detection of cervical cancer and lumps access is still in the planning phase.

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands Projects

• • Ongoing engagement with the National Referral Hospital (NRH) Oncology Unit with in-country training visits by Professor Matthew Links from Bond University in March 2024 and a multidisciplinary team led by Professor Desmond Yip in October 2024.
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  • Upskilling staff on palliative care has been a major focus of these visits with lectures and development of a symptom assessment tool and updated pain ladder.
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  • • A Palliative Care Champions Group has been established with medical and nursing members from different departments of the NRH.
    • These staff enrolled in the ASCO Palliative Care eCourse but there was attrition due to IT access problems and time availability. One doctor was two weeks’ short of successfully completing the course when they had to provide an overseas medical escort and was unable to access the internet.
    • Delivery of decommissioned syringe drivers to NRH with training of staff to manage subcutaneous infusions for symptom control and terminal sedation.
    • Discussions with Solomon Island National University (SINU) regarding incorporating palliative care into the nursing course and offering a post graduate certificate in palliative care that would be developed with the Queensland University of Technology.
• • An ongoing project is establishing a resource stratified guideline for the management of early breast cancer.

• • • The project has involved working with Radiology Across Borders (RAB) with in-country ultrasonography training to teach local ultrasonographers to detect liver metastases. The aim is to improve the staging of breast cancer patients, especially those from the provinces, prior to referral to the National Referral Hospital to determine the intent of therapy. Preliminary staging would be liver ultrasound combined with plain chest X-ray. There is a single CT scanner in the Solomon Islands.
    • Introduction of docetaxel and short course trastuzumab for Her2 positive breast cancer into adjuvant therapy algorithm including economic modelling of benefit.
    • This project has involved Lauren Canning (Bond University Medical graduate, WA Health), Bianca Devitt (Medical Oncologist, Eastern Health) and Alice Febery (Breast Surgeon, Invercargill)
• • Dr Andrew Soma has become the nation’s first medical oncologist after successfully completing the Master of Cancer Sciences degree at Melbourne with mentoring and co-supervision from the Australian team. Dr Soma attended his graduation in Melbourne in August 2024 and made a professional visit to the VCCC hosted by Professor Grant McArthur.
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  • Collaboration with COSA Exercise and Cancer Group to provide education to allied health workers in NRH.

• • • Provision of free virtual places for attendance at PeterMac Foundations for Allied Health in Cancer Care.
    • PeterMac resources for management of lymphoedema and transition from acute care to home.
    • Possibility of Exercise Physiology and Physiology students travelling to the Solomon Islands under New Colombo Plan scholarships to develop localised resources for inpatient and outpatient programs.
    • Bond University allied health students will have overseas placements in the Solomon Islands from February 2025.

Fiji

Fiji Projects

• • The imPACT Review Report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has been published providing a comprehensive review of cancer control in Fiji.
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  • International Gynecologic Cancer Society multidisciplinary mission to Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Suva and Latouka Hospital, December 2024.

Cambodia

Cambodia Projects

• • Support of National Cancer Centre, Cambodia to develop advanced radiotherapy techniques including volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Virtual teaching and an in-country multidisciplinary teaching visit to Phnom Penh in August 2024 (funded by RANZCR International Development Grant).

Mongolia

Mongolia Projects

• • Support of National Cancer centre Mongolia in developing advanced radiation therapy techniques including stereotactic body radiotherapy by both virtual teaching and hosting Mongolia fellows within an Australian centre.

Sri Lanka and India

Sri Lanka and India Projects

• • Dr Ganes Pranavan has established PAALAM: The Bridge to Humanity a non-profit organisation supporting the palliative care service needs of Sri Lanka and India. The organisation is helping build a dedicated palliative care ward at the Jaffna Cancer Hospital, Sri Lanka and supporting home-based palliative care and training at the Tertiary Cancer Hospital in Sri Lanka.
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  • PAALAAM is looking into improving palliative care services in regional South India.
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  • The organisation is also enhancing palliative care awareness and support among immigrant communities from the subcontinent in Australia.

Collaborations

Asia Pacific Oncology Alliance

• • Asia Pacific Oncology Alliance (APOA) is an initiative of Rare Cancers Australia and links health professionals, researchers, consumers and industry representatives across the Asia Pacific Region to develop projects that can improve cancer survivorship and care. COSA has contributed to two initiatives with APOA.
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  • A report titled Pathways for Transforming the Cancer Ecosystem: A Patient Centred Framework was published last year. A Hackathon was conducted in Kuala Lumpur in August 2024 to generate multistakeholder, collaboratively developed ideas. Themes that emerged were: Broader Community Engagement with Civil Society, Evidence and Strategic Information, Collaboration and Shared Leadership, Powerful Patient Voices, Investment and Action from various sectors.

Canberra Health Services

• • Repurposing of medical equipment. Decommissioned Braun Infusomat syringe drivers from The Canberra Hospital have been donated to the Port Villa General Hospital in Vanuatu, National Referral Hospital in the Solomon Islands and the Jaffna Cancer Hospital in Sri Lanka. These are for use in paediatric patients and for palliative subcutaneous infusions.

City Cancer Challenge

• • City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) was launched by the UICC in 2017 and in 2019 was established as a standalone Swiss Foundation. Sanchia Aranda was the inaugural Chair. C/Can’s mission is to support cities around the world as they work to improve access to equitable, quality cancer care. Cities with over one million population and with surgical, medical and radiation oncology staffing and infrastructure already in place can apply for support.
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  • Through its partners, C/Can engages experts to help develop these cancer services on the city level with the intention that these can be expanded to the rest of the nation. COSA has signed a memorandum of understanding with C/Can to provide technical resources and expertise to projects in the Asia Pacific region, including strengthening a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care, developing resource-appropriate clinical management guidelines, and enhancing systemic therapy, radiotherapy and oncology pharmacy practices, paediatric oncology and the establishment of patient navigation and support programs.

American Society of Clinical Oncology Asia Pacific Regional Council

• • Milita Zaheed (Prince of Wales Hereditary Cancer Centre and Canberra Health Services) participated in the ASCO Global Leadership Program (Class 2023-2024). Her project was a multinational pilot feasibility study into implementing a patient-reported symptom tool, which she presented at the 2024 ASCO Breakthrough in Yokohama.