Developing the first national Optimal Care Pathway for Children with Cancer

The Optimal Care Pathway (OCP) for children with cancer, commissioned by Cancer Australia, is being delivered as a collaborative partnership between the Paediatric Integrated Cancer Service (PICS), the Australian and New Zealand Children’s Haematology/Oncology Group (ANZCHOG), and Children’s Cancer CoLab.

Partnering with ANZCHOG and their nationwide paediatric oncology expert network, PICS are bringing their sector expertise and previous experience writing OCPs – including the first national OCP for adolescents and young adults with cancer.

This project brings together national leaders, clinicians, researchers, community organisations and people with lived experience to improve outcomes for children with cancer and their families.

Optimal Care Pathways

Optimal Care Pathways are nationally recognised frameworks that outline consistent, safe, high-quality and evidence-based care for people affected by cancer.

OCPs are a key component of the Australian Cancer Plan and are designed to be embedded into routine cancer care to support integrated, coordinated and data-driven health service systems.

An OCP for children with cancer has been identified as a national priority through stakeholder consultation. This was further reinforced at the Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Ministerial Roundtable in June 2025, and in Cancer Australia’s Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Roadmap, released in May 2026.