10 Top Tips: Cancer Care Review Tips

What is a Cancer Care Review?

In the video above healthcare professionals share their experience of using cancer care reviews and how they can help with delivering personalised care for patients.

A Cancer Care Review (CCR) is a conversation between a patient and a healthcare professional about their cancer journey. 

An effect CCR conversation should aim to discuss:

• the patient's diagnosis
• the cancer treatment and its possible consequences
• the patient's prescription entitlements (and a Medication Review)
• the patient and carers' information needs
• physical activity advice and signposting to local support services
• signposting to Macmillan and other organisations.

First steps

When planning a cancer care review, you should consider:

• your practice population
• the size of your cancer population
• the most common cancers within your population.

Then consider the most appropriate way to carry out the review.

Some patients may prefer this to be face-to-face. Others may prefer a virtual appointment. 

With increasing numbers of people living with and beyond cancer, cancer follow up in primary care is likely to start to resemble that of other chronic diseases like COPD or Diabetes. 

You may want to consider involving broader members of the Primary Care team such as practice nurses in the CCR process.

Invite patients to involve a family member, carer or a close friend in their review. Having someone else at the cancer care review may:

• make your patient feel more supported
• enable them to raise important issues
• help them to recall more of the conversation later.

You will also get a much clearer idea of the impact of the diagnosis has had on the wider family group or in the patient's personal life. 

The following booklets may also be useful for your patient and those that care for them to have at the appointment.

Help patients to prepare for the CCR by sending them information in advance. You should explain the purpose of the review and whether they can bring up particular issues with you, like sexual or financial concerns.

Perhaps send them a version of the Holistic Needs Assessment concerns checklist or an alternative checklist to complete prior to the appointment. This will help them to better identify the issues that are important to them and that they need support with.

Make use of digital systems to send patients information more easily.

Below we have more information about Holistic Needs Assessments, including a booklet that may be helpful for your patients.

A suggested structure for the CCR could include:

• Finding out what matters to them. You could use the six personalised care questions at the start of the review.
• Discussing their diagnosis, treatment and potential consequences. This could include the impact cancer has had on their physical and emotional health, as well as social and practical impacts.
• Reviewing medication.
• Finding out about the person's support network and checking if they themselves are a carer.
• Agreeing a date for the next review or that there will be another appointment at certain points of transition in their care, like at the end of their treatment.
• Giving the patient the opportunity to raise anything else they wish to discuss.

The review may also be an opportunity for health promotion. Some patients may be more receptive to health advice following a cancer diagnosis.

There is increasing evidence that lifestyle changes and physical activity can be beneficial for people living with cancer. These changes can have a significant impact on both physical and psychological health. It can also help reduce the risk of recurrence and the impact of any treatment consequences.

It may be helpful to signpost your patients to the following information:

• Common questions about physical activity and cancer
• Getting ready for treatment - eating well and keeping active
• Lifestyle and well-being after treatment.

Below are also a list of resources and blogs that may be beneficial for your role.