Scientific knowledge about cancer is evolving at a rapid rate. Every day a new research is hailed as a ‘breakthrough’, offering hope to the many thousands of Australians diagnosed with cancer each year. Some of these will see dramatic outcomes for some patients and fall short for others. At the same time, every day I am asked, ‘when will they find a cure for cancer’, as if a single magic bullet will save us and that we don’t already see long term average survival reaching 70%. Communicating the complex reality of cancer risk, prevention, diagnosis and treatment is a challenge for us all. We must stop promising the community a quick fix for cancer.
While new discovery is a critical and necessary component of ongoing improvements in cancer outcomes, discovery alone is insufficient. Systematic application of existing knowledge about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has the capacity to improve outcomes today. An increased focus on measuring system performance across the diagnosis and treatment pathway will ensure that we both equitably apply what we already know but also develop a cancer system capable of best use of the discoveries of tomorrow.
This presentation will explore the components of a quality cancer system, from the data we collect to our own behaviour, and argue that progress in improving cancer outcomes requires closer collaboration between scientists and clinicians in the context of a learning healthcare system.