Education and Promotion

The original six protocols published in February 2010 - Lung, Melanoma, Breast, Colorectal, Lymphoma and Prostate are posted to the RCPA website:

www.rcpa.edu.au/Publications/StructuredReporting/cancerprotocols.htm

In addition, as of April 2012, another nine protocols have been published to this site after approval by the RCPA council:

• Renal Parenchymal Malignancy (Kidney)
• Endometrium Cancer
• Gastric Cancer
• Thyroid Cancer
• Soft Tissue Tumours
• CNS Tumours
• Testicular Tumours
• Oral Cancer
• Bladder Cancer

Each protocol is developed via a multi-disciplinary expert team and is then sent out for pubic consultation and approved via the RCPA Council before publication. A total of 22 authoring groups, residing under the 12 cancer committees who report to the Cancer Services Advisory Committee (CanSAC), have been convened totalling 164 experts.

After an initial development of the guide and form for the Melanoma protocol by a contracted Forms Designer, forms and guides were developed by the SPR project manager for each of the other published protocols and are now developed in conjunction with any new protocol. Hyperlinks have been added to the guides to provide quick, easy access to the information in the protocol. Forms and guides are published to the website with the protocols. Request information sheets based on the clinical information included in each protocol were developed more recently and are also published to the website.

Protocols are now in a continuous cycle of development with new protocols being kicked off at regular intervals. A procedure manual has been developed to document the publication process (see following section Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer Protocols - Procedure Manual).

Thirteen additional protocols are currently planned or in development:

• Gynaecology – vulva, cervix
• Gastrointestinal – oesophagus/gastro-oesophageal junction oesophageal ER; colorectal local resections
• Genitourinary – prostate – core biopsy
• Head, Neck and Endocrine – adrenal gland
• Bone and soft tissue – bone, GIST, salivary gland
• Haematopoietic – Bone Marrow biopsies
• Ophthalmic – SCC conjunctiva
• Paediatrics – Neuroblastoma

2^nd editions of the first six protocols have been drafted. Where applicable eg Melanoma, Lung and Prostate the 2^nd edition will include the internationally agreed elements from the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) process (Refer to following section on International Collaboration).

A national education program on the initial six published protocols was conducted throughout 2010 and was based on a "train the trainer" approach. Champions were identified in each state and in New Zealand. These champions were flown to Sydney for an initial education event on Friday 16th April 2010. At this meeting A/Prof David Ellis provided a general background and overview on structured pathology reporting and then presentations were given by each of the chairs of the six protocol expert committees. Each presentation was videoed and made available on the structured pathology reporting website as well as via DVD.

Following this initial meeting, a series of meetings were conducted in each state at which presentations by A/Prof Ellis and the SPR project manager were given, and fliers, DVD’s, example protocols, guides and forms were distributed. Attendance at various conferences such as the IAP, NZ ASM, Trends, COSA and Pathology Update was also included in the education and promotion plan. Promotional material was included as a satchel inserts at IAP and fliers, forms, guides and DVD’s have been made available at the RCPA booths at the other venues.

Publication of new protocols is well advertised. Notification emails are sent to all stakeholders as well as fellows of the college and other interested parties. Additional notifications on the publications appear in Pathology Today and the Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer newsletter.

Other promotional activities included:

• Publication of an article in the ANZMTG Australia and New Zealand Melanoma Trials Group newsletter in April 2010
• Publication of an article in Wongi Yabber the newsletter of the Australian Cancer Network in August 2010
• The inclusion of the SPR protocols on the NHMRC clinical guidelines portal. http://www.clinicalguidelines.gov.au/

The RCPA website for structured reporting protocols includes in addition to the published protocols, information in regard to the project, framework documents and release strategy, governance of the project; Frequently Asked Questions, compliance model, functional requirements, educational videos as well as the developed implementation aids (forms and guides).

A Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer newsletter is sent out to all stakeholders and fellows of the college each quarter. The newsletter has proven to be a useful tool in communicating progress on the project and has been well received.

Authors of the protocols are encouraged to submit articles or other publications eg posters, on the evidence base for the protocols. Several articles have been published in Pathology, the official journal of the RCPA:

1. Prognostic factors in prostate cancer. Key elements in structured histopathology reporting of radical prostatectomy specimens.
2. Surgical pathology reporting at the crossroads: beyond synoptic reporting.
3. Synoptic reporting improves histopathological assessment of pancreatic resection specimens.
4. Optimising the management of soft tissue tumours

A poster for oral cancer was accepted for display at the Australian and New Zealand Head and Neck Cancer Society conference last September. Several additional articles are planned for the coming months.

A poster on Structured Pathology Reporting has been designed. The poster is aimed at pathologists and has been printed in 2 formats – a freestanding pull up banner and a 400x600mm version – both will be on display at IAP in June 2012.