The Cancer Plan
Ensure High-Quality Cancer Treatment
Once cancer is diagnosed, timely, accurate, and evidence-based treatment can make all the difference. But not every Georgian has the same access to care. This part of the Georgia Cancer Plan focuses on ensuring that all Georgians—no matter their zip code, race, or income—can receive the best possible cancer treatment.
By improving access, reducing delays, and expanding use of best practices, we can save lives and improve outcomes across the state.
Background
A focus on early diagnosis of cancer, rapid and accurate staging, and quality evidence-based treatment will potentiate good population-level outcomes throughout the state.
In Georgia from 2013-2019:
- 58% of colorectal cancers were diagnosed at a late stage, while only 38% were diagnosed
- 80% of lung cancers were diagnosed at a late
- Among Georgia women, 68% of breast cancers were diagnosed at an early
- Among Georgia women diagnosed with cervical cancer, 41% had early-stage
- Among Georgia men diagnosed with prostate cancer, 78% had early-stage
Median time to treatment for target cancers varied for the same period, depending on the type of cancer, with a low of 28 days on average for colorectal cancer to a high of 42 days for cervical cancer.
While currently, 85% of the treatment of patients with cancer is occurring in centers and facilities that have been accredited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC), some populations have more significant barriers to accessing appropriate diagnosis and care.
Though the last plan implementation period was affected by the COVID pandemic, efforts to promote quality care through Project ECHO sessions to enhance the skills of oncologists and other physicians were a staple. There still needs to be more accrual to clinical trials in general and even more marked in populations of color.
Objectives
Objective 1
Increase use of evidence-based practices in cancer diagnosis, staging, and treatment across Georgia, with special emphasis on, though not limited to, the five target cancers, and focus on burdened populations in Georgia.
Objective 2
Increase equity in cancer care delivery by identifying and addressing the root causes of the diagnosis, staging, and treatment disparities in Georgia, emphasizing the five target cancers and burdened populations.
Strategies
Strategy | Strategic Actions | Target Populations | Key Collaborators |
| Ensure Quality Data and Continuous Learning | Establish the current state of, and actively/ continuously track, the amount and type of diagnosis, staging, and treatment research currently ongoing throughout the state. Support and/or commission statewide and community-based studies to understand:
| Communities in public health districts have the greatest burden and high social Vulnerability Index (SVI) scores. |
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| Broaden Awareness and Engagement | Increase public awareness of treatment guidelines, standards of care, and access to clinical trials to increase early diagnosis and intervention for cancers with high morbidity and mortality burden. Promote and emphasize care delivery at the Commission on Cancer (CoC) accredited hospitals/centers and underscore the value of using Cancer Program Practice Profile Reports (CP3R) in decision-making. | Georgia-based researchers and academicians. Communities in public health districts with the greatest cancer burden and high social Vulnerability Index (SVI) scores. |
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| Improve Provider Education, Clinical Training and Practice | Facilitate regional cross-institutional partnerships (focusing on CoC- accredited and non-CoC-accredited facilities in underserved areas) and ECHO training to increase standards of care, accruals to trials, and adoption of best practices across the state. Collaborate with key stakeholder groups to encourage more nurses to complete the Oncology Nursing Certification (ONC) program. Support the efficiency of hand-offs between screening, diagnosis, and treatment by engaging key referral partners along the continuum, care navigators, and primary care physicians. Facilitate and promote multidisciplinary approaches to oncology care delivery at institutions and within health systems. Monitor, track, and promote changes to care guidelines as recommended and/or incorporated by the CoC. | Primary care and oncology practitioners in public health districts with the greatest cancer burden and high SVI scores. |
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Measures
5 Year Success Measure | Baseline Values | Target Values |
| % of cancer patients (18-64 yrs.) reporting that they have a personal doctor or health care provider | 87% | 100% |
| % cancer patients (18-64 yrs.) reporting they’ve had a routine check-up in the preceding 12 months | 2% | 25% |
| % of cancer patients (18-64 yrs.) reporting that they have no health insurance | 5.6% | <1% |
% of patients reported that they received instructions from a doctor, nurse, or other health professional about where to return or who to see for routine cancer check- ups after completing treatment for cancer | None (New Measure) | >65% |
| Number and/or percent (%) of patients who receive oncology services in NCI-designated and/or CoC- accredited institutions and affiliated centers | 85% | 90% of patients receive care at CoC-accredited institutions |
| Accrual rate to trials with attention to disparities across groups (race, geography, etc.) | None (New Measure) | 5% of patients (CoC and NCORP) report participation in trials |
| % of cancer patients reporting that they participate in a clinical trial as part of their cancer treatment | None (New Measure) | >20% |