The role of primary care in cancer control is increasingly recognised as a vital component of cancer services in Australia. Primary care plays an important role across the cancer continuum: in primary cancer prevention, discussing and delivering cancer screening tests, accurately diagnosing people with cancer when they present in the community, providing supportive care during and after treatment, and at the end-of-life.
This presentation will discuss the findings of a Rapid Review recently completed by PC4 on the role of primary care in the early detection and follow-up of cancer. It will cover the following areas:
1. Can primary care improve the delivery of cancer screening programmes?
2. How can we improve detection of symptomatic cancer in primary care?
3. What is the role of primary care in cancer follow-up and survivorship?
It will include areas for further research and service development with particular focus on cancer diagnostic risk models, fast-track referral routes, stratified risk follow-up and the role of Medicare Locals.