A package of training for SpR level doctors has been designed by Cambridge University Hospital. It is made up of three courses, designed to be taken in order. Links enabling you to view the courses are available below:

Basic principles

Prescribing considerations and toxicity

Quiz

There is also some training provided by Chugai Pharma UK, on Chemotherapy Induced Nausea & Vomiting Training. This can be accessed on their CINV website at: www.cinvacademy.co.uk

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Access the training by Elaine Vickers at the links below and via the videos, session 1 video, session 2 video. 

An introduction to precision cancer medicine - - Elaine Vickers

•       What is precision cancer medicine?

•       What progress have we made?

•      A good example of precision medicine: non-small cell lung cancer

•      An example of where precision medicine could have a bright future: bowel cancer

•      Where we can only dream: pancreatic cancer

•       Where do biomarker tests fit in?

•       Can we test blood samples for biomarkers rather than tumours?

•       What does the future hold?

Cancer Immunotherapy  - Elaine Vickers

•       How does our immune system detect and destroy cancer cells?

•       Introducing T cells and their importance in immunotherapy

•       How do current immunotherapies create or boost cancer-fighting T cells?

•       What obstacles stand in their way?

•       Who do we give immunotherapy to now?

 

Introduction to Cancer Biology and Genetics - Elaine Vickers

  • A refresher on the relationship between cells, chromosomes, genes, and proteins 

•       Why DNA mutations are the cause of all cancers

•       What, and how many, gene mutations are necessary to cause cancer

•       How DNA mutations and changes in our immune system increase our cancer risk over time

•       How cancer spreads to new locations in the body

•       Looking inside tumours: what cells are there, and what are they doing?

•      How cancer cells change and diversify over time, and why this is the enemy to curing cancer patients 

 

Targeted cancer treatments - Elaine Vickers

•       How do different cancer treatments differ from one another? What’s the difference between chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy?

•       What can we and can’t we target with targeted therapies?

•       Two classes of treatment: antibodies and small molecules

•       Structure and types of antibody-based treatments and their mechanisms of action

•       Introduction to small molecule cancer treatments

•       Which treatments do we give to which patients, and why?

Training videos by Elaine Vickers. 

National SACT options appraisal 

MSE - homecare business case

 

The Pan Alliances Breast Cancer Group - Systemic Anti-Cancer Services Best Practice and Innovation: Sharing and Learning event took place in February 2024.

Use this link to view the Pan Alliance Breast Cancer Group meeting recordings and presentations

This includes a presentation and video links to Demand and Capacity Modelling by Claire Marsh, Senior Programme Manager, Treatments and Personalised Care, Wessex Cancer presentations in respect of demand and capacity modelling for SACT.

Video Link: Demand and Capacity Modelling - Claire Marsh (23 February 2024)

Link to Presentation Slides: Demand and Capacity Modelling - Claire Marsh

Video Link: Demonstration: SACT Demand and Capacity Tool

Pan Alliances Breast Group Systemic Anti-Cancer Services Best Practice & Innovation: ‘One Year On’, 

(document/report about mtg held on Friday 4th April 2025, De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms 61-65 Great Queen Street, London)

Alternatively access the Pan Alliance 2025 page (with presentations to follow).

 

High Level Summary of EPROs and SACT Virtual Clinic Regional Programmes

Introduction of a digital pathway via the Noona Platform into oncology pathways will enable:

  • Remote monitoring of patients on SACT treatment(s) by collating key information before their next appointment.
  • Triaging and remote monitoring of patients referred into the Radiotherapy Late Effects Service
  • Proactive review to inform clinical management, by means of a worktable and flagging system.
  • Better use of face-to-face clinic appointments by enabling prioritisation of available slots
  • Releasing of clinical time
  • Downloading of site-specific information for audit and evaluation purposes
  • Whilst there are interoperability options, the Noona platform can be implemented independently from EPRs and PAS

 

A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated

Benefits of ePROs:

  • Working smarter
  • Streamlines clinical workflows
  • Increased patient engagement
  • Early intervention of symptoms and side effects
  • Increased clinic capacity

Development of a SACT Virtual Clinic supported by a digital pathway (EPROs)

Many departments are having to make difficult decisions over whether to withhold access to approved treatments or prioritise which patients can receive treatment within a safe time at the expense of others. We know that for each month a patient is delayed from starting treatment across all cancer pathways, the risk of death increases by around 10%. This stark reality of ethical dilemmas and significant moral burden is faced by the cancer workforce who so desperately want to provide the best and most effective treatments to patients.

Potential Solution: Collaborative working project to implement an ACP Lead SACT Virtual Clinic

To test effectiveness the first phase will be to focus on early breast cancer given lower toxicity risk and new drugs being approved such as Abemaclicib and Ribociclib (due to be approved Spring / Summer 2025) which will require significant expansion in capacity to accommodate patients that meet the criteria.  Novartis and the EoE Cancer Alliance will be funding a 2-year programme to develop a core team to manage the virtual clinic.

The proposal is that the steps in the yellow boxes in the flow diagram will be taken out of the current service and transferred into the new SACT virtual clinic:

 

The above process map has been scoped up with another Trust with regard to the SACT Virtual Clinic pathway.

For clarity:

  • The Cancer Alliance have funded and procured Noona to deliver EPROs for 2 years, including subscription.
  • The plan is to scope up a business case to support ongoing subscription given ROI and benefits will be captured as the programme evolves. Currently the cost is approximately £15k per annum per oncology database.
  • Funding to staff the Virtual SACT hub will be provided in partnership with Novartis and the EoE Cancer Alliance for 23 months.
  • All programme work will be supported by a programme management team including stakeholders from the Cancer Alliance, Trust and ICB and a phased approach will be taken.
  • It is anticipated that there will be a partnership approach to programme delivery.
  • Memorandums of Understanding will be coproduced between the EoE Cancer Alliance and ICB / Trust leads and stakeholders.
  • Where additional resource has been provided to support the programme(s), this is to reduce impact on frontline staff as required.
  • The Noona platform can be operationalised independently where required. Integration costs have been incorporated into the contract should this be required as the programme evolves.