A new Childhood & AYA Cancer Roadmap, and OCP for children with cancer

PICS welcomes the new Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult (CAYA) Cancer Roadmap, and look forward to working on the coming OCP for children with cancer.

We welcome Cancer Australia’s launch of the national CAYA Cancer Roadmap, and the new Australian Cancer Research Program that will include a focus on research targeting childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancers.

We were privileged to contribute our expertise to the document, and are glad that supportive care is one of the Roadmap’s main pillars. Optimal paediatric cancer care includes equitable access to tailored and age-appropriate supportive care for both patients and their families, throughout the cancer journey. We look forward to utilising the Roadmap alongside our partners as we work together to improve outcomes for those impacted by childhood cancer in Victoria.

We also welcome the announcement of the development of the first national Optimal Care Pathway (OCP) for children with cancer. We are very excited to be once again bringing our sector experience and expertise in writing OCPs, partnering with ANZCHOG and their nationwide paediatric oncology expert network.

We’re also grateful to Cancer Australia and Children’s Cancer CoLab for co-investing in and supporting the development of this new pathway. Children with cancer have distinct needs and require specialised support across the cancer care journey, and this national pathway will map best practice and promote consistent, high-quality, evidence-based care at each stage.

We look forward to working with our partners in developing an OCP that will help health services benchmark care, guide health professionals, and support people affected by cancer, and their families and carers, to understand and advocate for optimal care.