VICS Optimal Care Summits CALD consultation 2025–26

The VICS Optimal Care Summits program will examine cancer care and outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Victorians in 2025–26.

We will engage with multidisciplinary clinicians in formulating an expert advisory group, administering online surveys, prioritising variations, prioritising improvements, and then a live summit event on 27 February 2026.

If you contribute to care or support for CALD Victorians affected by cancer, you are invited to participate in whichever aspects of the consultation suit you. Please fill in this quick web form for health providers and organisations to be involved, and share the link with any relevant colleagues. Your information will only be used by the VICS for the purpose of this VICS Optimal Care Summits consultation.

If you have been treated for cancer in Victoria (Australia), were born outside of Australia, and would like to join an online focus group to discuss your experiences, please fill in this 2-minute ‘consumer’ survey. Focus group participants will receive a $50 voucher for their time.

For more information or to ask any questions, please email the VICS Optimal Care Summits team at OptimalCareSummits@austin.org.au.

Rapid literature review

A rapid literature search conducted in 5 August 2025 by the VICS Optimal Care Summits team focused on CALD adult populations in Australia with breast, colorectal, lung or prostate cancer. 29 studies met our inclusion criteria, including 2 from ‘grey literature’ and two found through hand searching.

While existing studies describe patterns of care and highlight variation by clinical factors, few explicitly define or categorise such variation as unwarranted. The absence of a CALD-specific Optimal Care Pathway (OCP), or CALD considerations in existing OCPs and a consistent framework for identifying unwarranted variation, constrains the ability to distinguish acceptable differences from those requiring intervention. Notably, no studies examined end-of-life care or evaluated the effectiveness of strategies aimed at reducing variation for CALD communities. Closing these gaps is vital to inform equity-focused improvements in cancer care for CALD communities and to guide the development of targeted, data-driven quality improvement initiatives within the Australian health system.

• Read the literature review report (PDF)

Expert advisory group

• Prof. Phillip Parente (Co-chair) – Director of Cancer Services, Eastern Health; Professor, Monash University; Medical oncologist, Epworth Hospital
• Dr Beverley Woon (Co-chair) – Radiologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St Vincent’s BreastScreen, and Eastern Health
• Sarah Davies – Cancer care coordinator, Mildura Base Public Hospital
• Dr Jazmin Eckhaus – Cardiothoracic surgeon, St Vincent’s Hospital and Eastern Health
• Miss Christina Foley – Breast and endocrine surgeon, St Vincent’s Hospital
• Dr Umbreen Hafeez – Medical oncologist, Austin Health
• Ms Yue Hu – Director, Transcultural & Language Services (TALS) | Narrun Wilip-giin Aboriginal Support Unit, Northern Health
• Dr Adeline Lim – Radiation oncologist, Austin Health
• Abbie Lockwood – Cultural Strategic Project Lead, Bendigo Community Health Services
• Stacey McDermott – Oncology clinic nurse, GV Health
• Dr Amanda Ormerod – Clinical lead (haematology), Latrobe Regional Health
• Rowena Paton – Clinical nurse specialist (oncology), Mornington Peninsula
• Ms Meron Pitcher – Head of surgery, Western Health
• Ms Peita Roberts – Clinical Nurse Consultant (lung), Northern Health
• June Savva – Senior dietitian, Monash Health
• Prof. Shomik Sengupta – Head of surgery, Eastern Health
• Dr Alesha Thai – Medical oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
• A/Prof. Justin Tse – General practitioner, Ivanhoe; Associate Professor, University of Melbourne
• A/Prof. Zee Wan Wong – Director of Oncology Unit, Monash Health
• Prof. Justin Yeung – Colorectal surgeon, Western Health.