VICS Optimal Care Summits colorectal cancer consultation 2024–25
The VICS’ third strategic consultation on patterns of care for colorectal cancer ran from late 2024 to early 2025.
The expert advisory group below reviewed progress in colorectal cancer care and outcomes for Victorians affected by colorectal cancer since our second summit on this topic, in 2018. The VICS then surveyed clinicians and other stakeholders across Victoria about barriers to and enablers of optimal care, and identify unwarranted variations in care and outcomes in Victoria. At a live summit event on Friday 28 February 2025, multidisciplinary clinicians, consumers, and other stakeholders codesigned actions to address priority variations.
VICS Optimal Care Summits
Consultation
Rapid literature review
Our mixed-methods strategic consultation approach includes a rapid review of existing literature. We explored known patterns in colorectal cancer care, what strategies have previously been used to determine and address unwarranted variations in care and outcomes, and how effective those strategies have been.
Barriers, enablers and preferences survey
The VICS invited 320 multidisciplinary clinicians and other key stakeholders in colorectal cancer across Victoria to complete an online survey – to explore barriers, enablers and preferences for providing optimal care to people with colorectal cancer in Victoria.
Persistent barriers identified by the 54 respondents included delays in access to diagnostic services such as colonoscopy, workforce shortages, and systemic inefficiencies.
Key enablers identified included improved system coordination, enhanced access to supportive care services, and the expansion of clinical trial participation and genetic assessment.
Variations
The VICS, our expert advisory group below, and the Victorian Department of Health’s Analysis of Linked Information in Cancer (ALIC) data unit agreed on key indicators relevant to colorectal cancer care across Victoria, from a range of linked cancer datasets. The VICS Optimal Care Summits team reviewed data on each indicator to identify unwarranted variations, which were then cross-checked by the ALIC team and analysed for clinical significance by the advisory group.
The 3 variations in bold were prioritised as the focus of discussion for our live summit event on 28 February.
- The number of younger people being diagnosed with colorectal cancer has been steadily increasing since 2005
- Aboriginal Victorians are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer
- People living in regional and rural areas are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer
- Younger patients with colorectal cancer are diagnosed with more advanced cancer
- Increasing proportion of colorectal cancer patients presenting to an emergency department for emergency surgery
- People aged 50-74 with a positive screen result for colorectal cancer are waiting longer for a colonoscopy
- Lower proportion, in regional areas, of patients being discussed at multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs)
- Low rates, in some areas, of recording cancer stage in MDMs
- Low rates, statewide, of recording patients’ ECOG status in MDMs
- Low rates, statewide, of supportive care screening
- Low rates, statewide, of communicating treatment plans to patients’ GPs
- Variations, by area, in time from diagnosis to patients receiving any treatment within 6 weeks for stage 1, 2, and 3 colorectal cancer
- Variations, by area, in time from diagnosis to patients receiving any treatment within 6 weeks for stage 4 colorectal cancer
- Longer-than median times, in some regions, between colonoscopy and first treatment
- Low proportion of patients, statewide, who see a dietitian in hospital within 6 months of diagnosis
- Low proportion of patients, statewide, who see a physiotherapist during admission within 3 months of diagnosis
- The number of younger people dying with colorectal cancer has been steadily increasing over the past 17 years
- Aboriginal Victorians are more likely to die from colorectal cancer
- Lower survival rates in the Loddon Mallee region, for patients with stage 1 and 4 colorectal cancer
- Lower survival rates, in Gippsland, for patients with stage 2 colorectal cancer
- Low proportion, statewide, of stage 4 colorectal cancer patients who had an advance care directive statewide
- Low proportion of patients, statewide, admitted for palliative care within 12 months prior to death
- High proportion of patients, statewide, who presented to an emergency department within 30 days prior to death.
- Growing variation, in some regions, in the proportion of surgeries with 12+ lymph nodes examined for stage II and III colon cancer patients.
"Attending the summit was amazing. To be in a room with a group of passionate and renowned clinicians, who were all there to try to improve services and outcomes for cancer patients, was so great to see. To know that my voice was heard in the process of improving services and outcomes, in the chorus of these amazing medical professionals, was truly humbling."
– A consumer representative who participated in the 2025 colorectal cancer summit
Expert advisory group
- Dr Geoff Chong (Co-chair) – Medical oncologist, Austin Health
- Mr William Teoh (Co-chair) – Colorectal surgeon, Monash Health
- Mei Mei Ang – Gastrointestinal (colorectal) cancer nurse consultant, Alfred Health
- Dr Louise Bettiol – General practitioner and GP Clinical Director, LMICS
- Dr Bradley Bidwell – General surgeon and Clinical Director of Surgery, Northeast Health Wangaratta
- Sophie Boffa – Consumer representative, Safer Care Victoria
- Dr Prasad Cooray – Oncologist, Epworth/Healthscope
- Dr Pranav Dorwal – Molecular anatomical pathologist, Monash Health
- Mr Alexander Heriot – Surgeon and Director of Cancer Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
- Karen Lee – Dietitian, Austin Health
- Dr Sachin Joshi – Medical oncologist, Latrobe Regional Hospital
- Kylie Leavy – Stomal therapy nurse, Monash Health
- Prof. Sue-Anne McLachlan – Medical oncologist, St Vincent’s Hospital
- Dr Ayesha Saqib – Colorectal oncologist, Goulburn Valley Health
- Dr Madhu Singh – Colorectal oncologist, Barwon Health
- Mr Neil Strugnell – Colorectal surgery consultant, Northern Health
- Dr Neetu Tejani – Radiation oncologist, Bendigo Health.
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