Durham cancer care is tops Local program meets cancer surgery wait time targets in 100 per cent of cases Reka Szekely rszekely@durhamregion.com DURHAM -- As local hospital workers and patients recently marked World Cancer Day, they did so knowing cancer services in Durham and Northumberland are tops in Ontario. Cancer Care Ontario issues quarterly scorecards for the 14 Ontario cancer programs, and in the last quarter, the Central East Regional Cancer Program was ranked first in the province. Based out of Lakeridge Health, the program includes services for patients at hospitals in Scarborough, Durham, Peterborough and Northumberland. "We're really proud of the partnerships that make a strong system for our patients throughout our region," said Tom McHugh, regional vice-president for cancer services and clinical programs for Lakeridge Health. He explained that in addition to the Durham Regional Cancer Centre in Oshawa, practically every hospital in the Central East region provides services related to cancer care, ranging from colonoscopies to surgery. But Cancer Care Ontario declined to release the quarterly scorecard comparing programs, saying that the internal document is not designed for the public. However, a representative suggested visiting Cancer System Quality Index website at www.csqi.on.ca where performance measures are posted on an annual basis. Officials from Lakeridge shared some of the highlights of the scorecard that saw them ranked in the top spot this quarter. The Central East Regional Cancer Program is the only program in Ontario meeting the cancer surgery wait time targets 100 per cent of the time. The provincial target is to meet that standard 90 per cent of the time, but the current Ontario performance is only 78 per cent. As well, the local program was tops in meeting wait times between referrals to chemotherapy and radiation and consultations with an oncologist. The Province measures the percentage of patients who move from referral to consult within 14 days. For radiation, the Central East program met the target in 94 per cent of cases, a figure significantly higher than the provincial performance of 72 per cent. For chemotherapy the standard was met in 90 per cent of cases compared to 61 per cent province-wide. Mr. McHugh said about a year ago, the local cancer program ranked third and then moved to second. "I think the trajectory has been firmly set that this is a constantly improving program." But there's always room for more improvement and local health-care workers are aiming to do better in some categories. For example, the target for the wait time from the consult to chemotherapy treatment is within 28 days. Ranked fourth in the category, the Central East program is reaching that target in 75 per cent of cases, on par with the provincial performance of 73 per cent, but short of the Province's ideal of 85 per cent. "Your physician has a suspicion you have a cancer, we're great at getting you in, we don't rank as high on having your tests ready so you can go in for treatment," explains Mr. McHugh, who added that the short time between referrals and consult with an oncologist sometimes means the tests aren't ready for treatment within the target period. Overall, Mr. McHugh said the positive outcomes come from the strong teams built around patients, which look after both their physical and mental well being. As Lakeridge Health marked World Cancer Day on Feb. 5, Whitby resident Debby Guerreiro praised the program after undergoing her last radiation treatment. "I got the answers I needed quickly so that I could begin my treatments for breast cancer," she said. "I felt like I had the entire team behind me, working to get me better again. I can't say enough about the care I received." FaSt FactS Local cancer care More than 500 people visit the R.S. McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre daily Annual visits have grown from 64,905 in 2007 to an expected 130,000 in 2013 A total of 250 doctors and staff and 75 volunteers work at the cancer centre There are eight radiation oncologists in Oshawa, Peterborough, Ajax and Scarborough There are 10 medical oncologists, six hematologists and one general practitioner in oncology based across Oshawa, Peterborough, Northumberland Hills Hospital, Scarborough Hospital and Rouge Valley Health System Other cancer statistics from the Cancer Quality Council of Ontario: 55,000 cancer surgeries in Ontario in 2011. 71,926 is the estimated number of new cancer diagnoses in 2012. 72 per cent of eligible women aged 20-69 screened for cervical cancer 2008-2010. SabRina byRneS / MetRoland OSHAWA -- Debby Guerreiro, 56, right, from Whitby helped mark World Cancer Day by highlighting her experience with chemotherapy, surgery and radiation treatment. With her was Dr. Julia Jones, regional surgical oncology lead at the Durham Regional Cancer Centre.