Minimum suggested annual caseload
St Vincent’s treats more head and neck cancer patients than any other campus in NSW.
The NSW Cancer Institute recommends that hospitals treating people with complex cancers should perform these surgeries regularly (i.e. perform a certain number of surgeries each year). This is known as a minimum suggested annual caseload.
According to the latest NSW Cancer Institute data, St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, is the highest volume surgical head and neck cancer unit in NSW. This volume doubles when we include patients from St Vincent’s Private.
Most head and neck cancer patients require a combination of therapies during their cancer treatment. These may include one or a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Which is why all major head and neck cancer treatment centres have Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT). The St Vincent’s Sydney Head and Neck Cancer MDT includes head and neck surgeons, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, dentists, dieticians, speech pathologists, psychologists, social workers, cancer care coordinators and cancer researchers. Research demonstrates that patients who are reviewed by an MDT have better outcomes.
Cancer Institute NSW : ‘Reporting for Better Outcomes’
Average annual caseload of resections by procedure group, by public hospital (ranked), head and neck cancer, South Western Sydney LHD, 2014 – 2017, NSW Cancer Institute
