1. March 2001Management of Thyroid CancerInformation Projects Team THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH THYROID CANCER Cathy Bennett Information Projects Manager

2. March 2001Management of Thyroid CancerInformation Projects Team PLANS FOR THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY Postal request for ideas and issues Clinicians involved in care of thyroid cancer 6 replies received Specialties: Endocrinology, Head and Neck Surgery, ENT, Endocrine surgery

3. March 2001Management of Thyroid CancerInformation Projects Team SUMMARY OF QUESTIONNAIRE REPLIES 1 MANAGEMENT Multidisciplinary assessment and management - MD thyroid cancer clinics Specialties of staff –Designated Clinical Oncologists; –Surgical oncologists expert in head and neck –Named thyroid surgeons (Newcastle)

4. March 2001Management of Thyroid CancerInformation Projects Team SUMMARY OF QUESTIONNAIRE REPLIES 2 DIAGNOSIS Length of time to make a diagnosis Adequacy of pre op. diagnosis

5. March 2001Management of Thyroid CancerInformation Projects Team SUMMARY OF QUESTIONNAIRE REPLIES 3 THERAPY Development of common evidence-based policies for diagnosis and treatment Adjuvant therapies Harmonisation of long term follow up

6. March 2001Management of Thyroid CancerInformation Projects Team SUMMARY OF QUESTIONNAIRE REPLIES 4 METASTASES Management Neck management in nodal metastatic cancer SCREENING Familial Thyroxine withdrawal for recurrence

7. March 2001Management of Thyroid CancerInformation Projects Team PLANS FOR THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY How to take study forward? Clinical audit Registry data forms basis of most studies - population based, but case details may not be available

8. March 2001Management of Thyroid CancerInformation Projects Team PLANS FOR THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY QUESTIONS OF INTEREST Are patients receiving appropriate investigations? Who treats thyroid cancer, involvement of oncologists? Planned management? What are the patterns of care? (inappropriate management or fragmentation of service?) Patient viewpoint?

9. March 2001Management of Thyroid CancerInformation Projects Team PLANS FOR THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY POSSIBLE TOPICS Paint a picture of current (recent) patterns of management in Region Case volumes and specialisation Audit practice against guidelines (e.g. Northern Cancer Network Guidelines for the Management of Thyroid cancer)

10. March 2001Management of Thyroid CancerInformation Projects Team PLANS FOR THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY Protocol - agree overall scope now Convene working group to develop protocol Involve 4 cancer networks Background issues –Current audits –Use and acceptance of guidelines