Time from diagnosis to treatment with Cancer Council QLD
The RECAP Journal Club Podcast
Regional, rural and remote people with cancer often face additional barriers to accessing timely care, including long distances, higher costs, and increased reliance on telehealth and self-management. In this RECAP (Regional Evidence, Collaboration and Practice) Journal Club episode, we are joined by Dr. Lizzy Johnston and Dr. Susannah Ayre from Cancer Council Queensland to discuss their recent paper: Time from diagnosis to treatment: Are cancer patients who travel for treatment receiving optimal care in Australia?
The Travelling for Treatment study team examined the prevalence and characteristics of treatment delay among regional cancer patients, with treatment delay defined as a diagnosis-to-treatment interval exceeding Optimal Care Pathway recommendations. The study was a cross-sectional analysis of 640 adults who accessed Cancer Council Queensland -subsidised accommodation while receiving cancer care in a major city.
This episode provides an overview of the study’s design, objectives, and key findings, and explores the implications of the study’s findings on improving cancer care access and timeliness for regional and rural patients across Australia.
The RECAP (Regional Evidence, Collaboration and Practice) Journal Club is a quarterly initiative supported by the Cancer Patient Support Program (CPSP) Grant, showcasing peer-reviewed articles that reflect international best practice, led by regional hosts and paper authors.
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Authors in the Room
Dr. Lizzy Johnston
Group Lead, Cancer Survivorship, Cancer Council Queensland
Dr. Susannah Ayre
Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Cancer Council Queensland
Dr Susannah Ayre and Dr Lizzy Johnston are Research Fellows at Cancer Council Queensland’s Viertel Cancer Research Centre and Accredited Practising Dietitians (APD). Their work focuses on understanding how cancer impacts everyday life, and on developing practical, evidence-based approaches to better support people's health and wellbeing during and after cancer. Read more about their research here: Our projects - Cancer Council Queensland
Host
Dr. Samuel Harris
Medical Oncologist, Bendigo Regional Cancer Centre, Bendigo Health
Regional Research and Education Lead, VCCC Alliance
Dr Harris graduated from Adelaide University Medical School and has extensive postgraduate general medical, oncological and palliative care experience. In 2013, he completed medical oncology advanced training at Bendigo Health, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Austin Repatriation Hospital. His final year was a clinical trials fellowship in breast cancer, gastro-intestinal tumours and genitourinary cancers.
Between 2014 and 2016, Dr Harris undertook a fellowship at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, United Kingdom, working initially in the Sarcoma Unit and subsequently with Professor Johann De Bono in the Drug Development Unit (phase 1 trials) and the prostate team.
Dr Harris is a medical oncologist at the Bendigo Health Cancer Centre and also has a fortnightly visiting clinic to Kyneton Regional Health. He is the Clinical Lead for the Oncology Trials Unit. His specialty areas are in breast cancer, melanoma, lung cancer and general oncology.
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