Suspicion of a potential cancer can be from a number of routes:
Patient pathways for cancer diagnosis, treatment and management are complex and require the involvement of multi-disciplinary teams. All cancers have pathways which involve primary (eg GP), secondary (eg specialist health professional) and tertiary care (eg advanced treatment).
The first point of contact for someone who feels unwell or suspects cancer is likely to be their GP. GPs also have a role to play in screening, diagnosis and the long term management of cancer. GPs refer patients with signs and symptoms warranting investigation as “red flag”. Initial investigation can involve x-ray, ultrasound, CATscan, endoscopy, surgical procedure or biopsy.
Cancer units provide diagnosis and treatment for their local population and for the most common cancers such as lung, breast and colorectal.
They also provide a range of chemotherapies, which allows more patients to be treated closer to home.
The cancer units are located in:
The are two cancer centres in Northern Ireland located in Belfast City Hospital and Altnagelvin Hospital which offer specialist advice and treatment to patients from all over Northern Ireland.
This includes radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a range of inpatients, day case and outpatient services.
They specialise in the treatment of rare or less common cancers and those people who are undergoing complex or radical treatments.
The two cancer centres are the only sites to offer radiotherapy in Northern Ireland.
Cancer centre services are also provided at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Musgrave Park Hospital and the Mater Hospital.
The Northern Ireland cancer service works closely with the Medical School of Queen’s University Belfast and with the Queen’s University Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology (CCRCB) to develop new avenues for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through scientific research and a clinical trial unit.