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Last update: May 2017
Local teams
Provide follow-up and support to people with cancer and deliver treatments, including chemotherapy, support care and end-of-life care.
Regional teams
Expert teams that serve as a point of reference for local teams. They have decision-making power over treatment, unless more specialized care is required. They are specialized experts on tumour sites and questions regarding patient support or palliative care.
Supra-regional teams
Ultra-specialized teams that act as a consulting body for regional and local teams. They decide on treatments and deliver care in complex cases requiring the use of leading-edge, experimental or intensive protocols. The members of supra-regional teams are each specialized in different types of cancer.
Whether you are under the care of a local, regional or supra-regional team, you will always have access to the latest diagnostic methods and most efficient treatments available which are tailored to your needs. To that end, cancer expertise is delivered by interdisciplinary teams made up of professionals from various disciplines working together toward a common goal of providing the right care at the right time to the right person.
Cancer is a complex health problem that requires the expertise of many healthcare professionals from various disciplines working together in partnership. Oncology teams – be they local, regional or supra-regional – call upon these professionals based on their needs and the types of cancer being treated. They have both similarities and differences.
The best way to reach your oncology team is to contact the oncology pivot nurse (OPN). OPNs play a central role in the care team. During your first meeting with your OPN, she will give you her contact information.
An Oncology Passport is a special health booklet for people with cancer. It is a great tool to help you understand your treatment program, follow its course and actively participate in it. It is also your “calling card” if you ever need to go to the emergency room, since it will inform healthcare personnel that you are undergoing active cancer treatment (hence its name “Oncology Passport”).
The Direction de la lutte contre le cancer (2011) defines the oncology care continuum as being made up of four periods: investigation, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up.
Cancer treatment plans are based on the unique situation of each person with cancer. Your oncologist, in partnership with your care team, will continue to adapt it to your situation, based on your disease and health.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis is extremely difficult and it is perfectly normal for people to want to act fast when they receive the news. Having to wait for services, test results and the start of treatments can be very stressful.
References:
- Canadian Cancer Society
- Health Sciences North, Sudbury, Regional Cancer Program
- Institut national du cancer, France
- Hébert J. (2014) Plan de soins de suivi lors de la transition de la fin du traitement vers la survie au cancer: Où en sommes-nous?
- Gouvernement du Québec (2013) Plan directeur en oncologie
- Gouvernement du Québec (1997) Programme de lutte contre le cancer : Pour lutter efficacement contre le cancer, formons équipe
- Gouvernement du Québec (2005) Direction de la lutte contre le cancer : les équipes interdisciplinaires en oncologie
- Bilodeau. K. et al. (2015) Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal • Volume 25, Issue 1: The care continuum with interprofessional oncology teams: Perspectives of patients and family
- Santé et services sociaux, Québec, Lutte contre le cancer
- Canadian Cancer Society: Prognosis and survival
- Publication du MSSS (2008), Oncology Passport
Order online if the document was not submitted by a member of the oncology team