Cancer Patient Referral Pathway

Suspected Cancer Patient Referral Pathway

Early diagnosis and timely referral are critical to improving cancer outcomes in Papua New Guinea. The PMGH Cancer Centre has developed a standardized referral pathway to support clinicians in identifying, investigating, and referring patients with suspected malignancies to the respective sub-speciality departments like ENT, Gynecology, Breast Surgery, Urology etc based on the patient's signs and symptoms.

This pathway is designed to:

Guide health workers in recognizing red flag symptoms
Provide clear instructions for diagnostic workup before referral
Ensure that patients are referred to the appropriate subspecialty without delay
Facilitate multidisciplinary assessment and treatment planning at PMGH

We encourage all primary care providers, district hospitals, and provincial hospital clinicians to utilize this referral framework to improve care coordination and reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Clear documentation, essential investigations, and early referral can make a significant difference in patient outcomes.

There are referral forms for each cancer subsite in the "suspected cancer referral pathway" document.

To Follow a 4 week + 4 week target

Suspected Cancer Patient Referral Pathway

Confirmed Cancer Patient Referral Pathway

Timely referral of patients with a confirmed cancer diagnosis is essential to initiate appropriate staging, treatment, and supportive care. The PMGH Cancer Care Centre has established a standardized referral pathway to ensure coordinated, efficient, and equitable access to oncology services.

This pathway is intended for:

Patients with histologically or cytologically confirmed malignancies
Clinicians referring from provincial hospitals, private practices, or other PMGH departments
Coordination of multidisciplinary assessment, radiological staging, and treatment planning

Referring clinicians are encouraged to:

Ensure essential baseline investigations are completed (as outlined in site-specific checklists)
Submit the PMGH Oncology Referral Form, fully completed
Include histopathology reports, imaging, lab results, and relevant clinical summaries

Mandatory requirement for New patient registration

Histopathology report confirming the diagnosis of malignancy (Cancer)
Imaging to know the local disease extent and staging
- Imaging of the local site, example
  - CT scan of face and neck for head and neck cancer
  - MRI pelvis for cervical / rectal cancer
  - Mammogram for breast cancer
- Imaging to rule out distant metastases
  - Ideally CT scan of Chest and Abdomen
  - Atleast Chest X-ray and USG abdomen
Referral letter from the primary consultant

New patient registration

New patient registration would be done from Monday to Thursday, but the appointments for consultation would be given only for Monday and Tuesday – the days on which the new patient clinic runs.

Upon referral, the oncology team will triage the case and schedule appropriate appointments based on urgency and treatment needs. Patients may be enrolled into outpatient review, systemic therapy, radiotherapy planning, or palliative care as appropriate.

📥 Download referral forms and workup checklists below