Cancer Care Services

Conditions

Paediatric services

Referrals for children and young people should follow the Children’s Health Queensland referral guidelines.

If any of the following are present or suspected, phone 000 to arrange immediate transfer to the emergency department or seek emergent medical advice if in a remote region.

• Symptoms of airway obstruction, SVC obstruction
• Severe gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding
• Bowel obstruction
• Febrile neutropenia
• Symptomatic hypercalcaemia
• Other organ failure/dysfunction
• Uncontrolled and disabling pain
• Massive haemoptysis and/or stridor
• Neurological signs suggestive of brain metastases or cord compression
• Very high calcium (3.0mmol/L)
• Severe dysphagia with dehydration
• Biopsy proven small cell lung cancer
  • Patients with symptoms of shortness of breath, deteriorating organ function
• Metastatic germ cell tumour (GCT) confirmed (biopsy) or suspect (tumour markers)
• Patients with severe symptoms, organ failure or life threatening complications
• Highly aggressive lymphoma
  • Burkitt’s lymphoma
  • Lymphoblastic lymphoma
• Acute leukaemia

Out of scope services

• Lymphoma, Leukemia and blood disorders: please refer to Haematology
• Patients requiring surgery for cancer: refer to subspecialty surgical service
• Patients not aware of diagnosis or likely diagnosis (without explanation)
• Consultations cannot occur without the patient present
• Unwell patients requiring acute hospitalisation are not suitable for outpatient referral
• This is not a diagnostic pathway so patients with suspected but not confirmed malignancy should be referred to the most relevant sub-specialist for investigation and confirmation of a malignant diagnosis.
• It is recommended that patients presenting with the following conditions should be referred directly to their local emergency department for inpatient investigation and management to expedite their care requirements:
  • Significant bleeding – including haemoptysis, severe gastrointestinal bleeding, and haematuria particularly with clot retention.
  • Uncontrolled or disabling pain or severe uncontrolled dyspnoea
  • New findings of symptomatic brain metastasis or leptomeningeal disease diagnosed in the community
  • Suspected spinal cord compression or cauda equina syndrome
  • Symptoms of airway obstruction / compromise or Superior vena cava obstruction
  • Symptomatic malignant hypercalcaemia
  • Suspected tumour lysis syndrome
  • Patients with a visceral crisis from suspected but not confirmed malignant diagnosis (e.g. significant liver dysfunction from malignant infiltration)
  • Biliary obstruction from suspected malignant disease
  • Malignant bowel obstruction
  • Acute urinary retention or ureteric obstruction secondary to malignancy
  • Febrile neutropenia

GP Oncology referral advice line

If phone advice is required, please make available a phone number that our medical staff can contact you on directly. Extremely urgent is considered to be advice required within one hour, urgent requests will be answered within 24-48 hours.

Contact numbers:

Medical Oncology: 36467983

Haematology/BMT: 36461340

Radiation Oncology: 36464089

Please view the emergency contact details for referring General Practitioners for further details regarding this service.

Services

Specialists list

Clinic details

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH)

Level 7, Ned Hanlon Building, RBWH

The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH)

Specialist Clinics, Ground Floor, TPCH

Redcliffe Hospital

Level 1, Specialist Outpatient Department, Main Building, Redcliffe