People with rare or complex cancers can face barriers to specialist care. UNSW\u2019s Precision Care Clinic helps connect them to expert advice and treatment options.<\/p>\n
Australians living with rare or hard-to-treat cancers \u2013 particularly outside major cities \u2013 often struggle to access specialist expertise.<\/p>\n
But now a clinic run by UNSW Sydney at Prince of Wales Hospital \u2013 the Precision Care Clinic \u2013 is working to address this gap. The clinic is part of UNSW’s\u00a0Precision Care Initiative<\/a>, which uses genetic information about tumours to guide treatment decisions through a field of medicine known as genomics. A team of specialists reviews each case in detail and provides evidence-based treatment recommendations. Since launching in 2023, the Clinic has guided treatment decisions for more than 200 patients across Australia, including 22% from regional and remote areas.<\/p>\n Professor Natalie Taylor says the clinic was designed to improve timely access to specialist cancer expertise.<\/p>\n \u201cPrecision oncology is evolving rapidly, and for clinicians managing complex cancer cases, it can be challenging to stay across all available treatment options and emerging evidence,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about ensuring patients can receive informed, evidence-based treatment guidance, from wherever they live in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n How it works<\/p>\n If an oncologist is treating a patient with a rare or particularly complex cancer, they can\u00a0refer the case to the Precision Care Clinic<\/a>\u00a0for additional specialist input.<\/p>\n The clinic\u2019s team meets to review the patient\u2019s medical information, working through the evidence and available treatment options before sending recommendations back to the treating oncologist.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this way, the patient can continue to receive care from their treating oncologist, but with additional guidance from our clinic,\u201d Prof. Taylor says.<\/p>\n Closing the gap<\/p>\n While genomics and molecular testing are becoming more common in cancer care, interpreting these results and turning them into treatment decisions is not always straightforward. And for busy oncologists \u2013 especially those outside major metropolitan centres \u2013 keeping up with rapidly evolving evidence and clinical trial options can add complexity and pressure.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is where the Precision Care Clinic really comes into its own,\u201d says Prof. Taylor.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can provide a more detailed review of complex cases and can help translate results into practical treatment options that clinicians may not otherwise have time or access to explore.\u201d<\/p>\n So far the Clinic has received referrals from more than 100 oncologists across 76 national cancer centres of all states and territories, spanning metropolitan, regional and remote areas. It has also provided one-off follow-up consultations for more than 100 patients seeking to better understand the clinic\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n Working closely with not-for-profit precision oncology organisation\u00a0Omico<\/a>, the Clinic helps connect patients with advanced cancers to genomic testing and clinical trial opportunities.<\/p>\n In some cases, the review has identified clinical trial options that may not have been considered, or which clinicians weren’t aware of. In others, it has confirmed or refined existing care management plans.<\/p>\n \u201cThe clinic has contributed to valuable changes in the trajectory of care for some patients based on the latest evidence in precision oncology,\u201d Prof. Taylor says.<\/p>\n As the service is designed to support clinicians, not replace them, referring doctors are invited to join case discussions, which Prof. Taylor describes as strengthening the quality of decision-making and creating an opportunity for shared learning.<\/p>\n \u201cThe referring clinicians are invited to be part of the discussion, not only to provide information about their case, but also to engage with emerging evidence,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Sustainability and routine care<\/b><\/p>\n While the clinic is now operating in the public health system, its development has been supported through funding from the Australian Government\u2019s Medical Research Future Fund.<\/p>\n