Diagnosis

 

CHEMOTHERAPY

KEY POINTS

  • Diagnosis information
  • Breast cancer histopathology
  • Family history
  • Molecular profiling
  • Genomic sequencing
  • Current treatment plan
  • Treatment goals
  • Prognosis
  • Expected response to treatment
  • Symptom management
  • Treatment adherence and compliance
  • Financial implications of treatment pathway
  • Oncofertility
  • Current treatment plan (consider concurrent treatments i.e. Chemo/ immunotherapy and noncancer treatments)
  • Out of pocket pharmaceutical costs
  • Taste change
  • Dental health / oral care
  • Safe sex and contraception
  • MDT meeting and involvement
  • Employment and financial assistance referrals
  • Exercise and physical activity
  • Social and emotional needs
  • Clinical trial considerations

TUMOUR SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS

Ovarian

<any specific considerations>

Endometrial

<any specific considerations>

Vulval

<any specific considerations>

CHEMOTHERAPY

LIVING WELL

  • Encourage ongoing GP contact for comorbid condition management, immunisation, screening, chronic disease, mental health care plan, and other health concerns
  • Offer health promotion and lifestyle maintenance solutions
  • Facilitate healthy lifestyle modifications
  • Facilitate advance care planning for patients aged over 75 years of age and support patient-directed advance care planning for patients aged under 75 years
  • Survivorship Care Plan

DELIVERY CONSIDERATIONS

  • Need for interpreter services
  • Patient’s hearing status
  • Patient’s vision status

 

Information for Nurses
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM
  • Actively advocate for patient with MDT in the following ways, if appropriate:
  • Discuss patient preferences for treatment
  • Assess psychosocial needs
  • Consider CVAD
  • Consider ECOG
  • Refer for genetic testing, if appropriate
  • Consider if patient is on, or should be considered for, a clinical trial and consider involving a clinical trials coordinator
  • Discuss fertility and oncofertility
  • Patient pharmaceutical access scheme
  • Oncologist contact
  • Clinical trials team
  • Facilitate communication with patient’s General Practitioner
  • Discuss prescription of endocrine therapy
RESOURCES FOR NURSES
  • Clinical supervision
  • eviQ protocol
  • Macmillan Cancer Support
  • Clinical trials
  • MDT guidelines
  • Immunotherapy
  • eviQ Telephone triage kit
  • eviQ medical oncology resources
  • Informed financial consent
  • Culturally safe communication skills
  • COSA exercise guidelines
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
DISTRESS THERMOMETER AND PROBLEM LIST
BRIEF FATIGUE INVENTORY

 

Information for Patients
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM
  • Actively advocate for patient with MDT in the following ways, if appropriate:
  • Discuss patient preferences for treatment
  • Assess psychosocial needs
  • Consider CVAD
  • Consider ECOG
  • Refer for genetic testing, if appropriate
  • Consider if patient is on, or should be considered for, a clinical trial and consider involving a clinical trials coordinator
  • Discuss fertility and oncofertility
  • Patient pharmaceutical access scheme
  • Oncologist contact
  • Clinical trials team
  • Facilitate communication with patient’s General Practitioner
  • Discuss prescription of endocrine therapy
RESOURCES FOR NURSES
  • Clinical supervision
  • eviQ protocol
  • Macmillan Cancer Support
  • Clinical trials
  • MDT guidelines
  • Immunotherapy
  • eviQ Telephone triage kit
  • eviQ medical oncology resources
  • Informed financial consent
  • Culturally safe communication skills
  • COSA exercise guidelines
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
DISTRESS THERMOMETER AND PROBLEM LIST
BRIEF FATIGUE INVENTORY