Skip to main content

Call 13 11 20 for information and support

If you or someone you know is looking for cancer-related support, our team will be right here with you.

Call one of our friendly nurses between Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Follow along
  • Cancer prevention
  • Get support
  • Research
  • Get Involved
  • About Cancer
  • Health professionals
  • Accommodation
  • About us
  • Latest News
  • First Nations
  • Back to main menu
  • Overview
  • Immunisation and cancer
  • Screening and finding cancer early
  • SunSmart Schools & Early
Childhood Program
  • Sun protection
  • Smoking and vaping
  • Nutrition, alcohol and physical activity
  • Workplaces
  • Recipes
  • Prevention and early detection resources and fact sheets
  • Back to main menu
  • Overview
  • Support services
  • Coping with cancer
  • Advanced cancer
  • Supporting someone with cancer
  • Resources and fact sheets
  • Back to main menu
  • Overview
  • How you can help
  • How you can give

Call 13 11 20 for information and support

Optimal care pathways

The optimal cancer care pathways (OCPs) describe best practice cancer care. They are designed to promote a full understanding of the patient experience and to foster evidenced based, quality cancer care from the point of diagnosis onwards.

The resources identify specific steps, or critical points along the care pathway and the recommended care at each point.

Both detailed pathways and quick reference guides have been developed.

Smiling caregiver in blue scrubs greets an older person, hand on their shoulder.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer

Optimal care pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer

Quick reference guide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer

Adolescents and young adults with cancer

Optimal care pathway for adolescents and young adults with cancer

Quick reference guide for adolescents and young adults with cancer

Optimal Care Pathways by cancer type

Acute leukaemia in children adolescents young adults (1st edition)

Acute myeloid leukaemia (2nd edition)

Breast cancer (2nd edition)

Cancer of unknown primary (January 2020)

Cervical cancer (January 2020)

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (1st edition)

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (1st edition)

Colorectal cancer (2nd edition)

Endometrial cancer (2nd edition)

Head and neck cancer (2nd edition)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (2nd edition)

High-grade glioma (2nd edition)

Hodgkin and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (2nd edition)

Keratinocyte cancer (basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma) (2nd edition)

Low-grade lymphomas (1st edition)

Lung cancer (2nd edition)

Melanoma (2nd edition)

Multiple Myeloma (1st edition)

Myelodysplastic syndrome (1st edition)

Neuroendocrine tumours (1st edition)

Oesophagogastric cancer (2nd edition)

Ovarian cancer (2nd edition)

Pancreatic cancer (2nd edition)

Prostate cancer (2nd edition)

Sarcoma (bone and soft tissue sarcoma) (January 2020)

Quick reference guides by cancer type

Acute leukaemia in children adolescents young adults (1st edition)

Acute myeloid leukaemia (2nd edition)

Breast cancer (2nd edition)

Cancer of unknown primary (January 2020)

Cervical cancer (January 2020)

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (1st edition)

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (1st edition)

Colorectal cancer (2nd edition)

Endometrial cancer (2nd edition)

Head and neck cancer (2nd edition)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (2nd edition)

High-grade glioma (2nd edition)

Hodgkin and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (2nd edition)

Keratinocyte cancer (basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma) (2nd edition)

Low-grade lymphomas (1st edition)

Lung cancer (2nd edition)

Melanoma (2nd edition)

Multiple Myeloma (1st edition)

Myelodysplastic syndrome (1st edition)

Neuroendocrine tumours (1st edition)

Oesophagogastric cancer (2nd edition)

Ovarian cancer (2nd edition)

Pancreatic cancer (2nd edition)

Prostate cancer (2nd edition)

Sarcoma (bone and soft tissue sarcoma) (January 2020)

Patient Resources: Your guides to best cancer care

These short guides help patients understand the optimal cancer care that should be provided at each step and can be used to complement the clinical OCPs. Carers, family and friends may also find them helpful.

The guides are located on an interactive web portal, with downloadable PDFs in English, plain English and translation into multiple languages.