Breast cancer
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If any of the following are present or suspected, please refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary) or follow local emergency care protocols or seek emergent medical advice if in a remote region.
- Uncontrolled or disabling pain or severe uncontrolled dyspnoea
- New findings of symptomatic brain metastasis or leptomeningeal disease diagnosed in the community
- Suspected spinal cord compression or cauda equina syndrome
- Symptomatic malignant hypercalcaemia
- Patients with a visceral crisis from suspected but not confirmed malignant diagnosis (e.g. significant liver dysfunction from malignant infiltration)
- Febrile neutropenia
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| Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days) |
Patients with early stage or locally advanced Breast cancer should be referred to the General or Breast surgical team for evaluation and further investigation / staging. Patients are usually then presented in a multi-disciplinary meeting for treatment planning and further referral if required for Medical Oncology input. Patients suspected of a new diagnosis of breast cancer presenting with a suspected breast lump/s has to be referred through local surgical pathway for further investigation and biopsy.
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| Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days) |
|
| Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days) |
|
Please insert the below information and minimum referral criteria into referral
1. Reason for request Indicate on the referral
- To establish a diagnosis
- For treatment or intervention
- For advice and management
- For specialist to take over management
- Reassurance for GP/second opinion
- For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
- Reassurance for the patient/family
- For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
- Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary
2. Essential referral information Referral will be returned without this
- Previous cancer treatment details including location; dates; treating doctor; details of prior treatment regimens and imaging / pathology results.
- FBC ELFTs results
- Histology /cytology results – current +/- previous
- Mammograms results +/- breast US +/- axilla
3. Additional referral information Useful for processing the referral
- Family history
- Other available imaging
4. Request
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Patient's Demographic Details
- Full name (including aliases)
- Date of birth
- Residential and postal address
- Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
- Medicare number (where eligible)
- Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
- Preferred language and interpreter requirements
- Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Referring Practitioner Details
- Full name
- Full address
- Contact details – telephone, fax, email
- Provider number
- Date of referral
- Signature
Relevant clinical information about the condition
- Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
- Physical findings
- Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
- Body mass index (BMI)
- Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
- Current medications and dosages
- Drug allergies
- Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use
Reason for request
- To establish a diagnosis
- For treatment or intervention
- For advice and management
- For specialist to take over management
- Reassurance for GP/second opinion
- For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
- Reassurance for the patient/family
- For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
- Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary
Clinical modifiers
- Impact on employment
- Impact on education
- Impact on home
- Impact on activities of daily living
- Impact on ability to care for others
- Impact on personal frailty or safety
- Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Other relevant information
- Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
- Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
- Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)
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If any of the following are present or suspected, please refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary) or follow local emergency care protocols or seek emergent medical advice if in a remote region.
Please note that where appropriate and where available, the referral may be streamed to an associated public allied health and/or nursing service. Access to some specific services may include initial assessment and management by associated public allied health and/or nursing, which may either facilitate or negate the need to see the public medical specialist.
A change in patient circumstance (such as condition deteriorating, or becoming pregnant) may affect the urgency categorisation and should be communicated as soon as possible.
Please indicate in the referral if the patient is unable to access mandatory tests or investigations as they incur a cost or are unavailable locally.
Last updated: 24 January 2025
© State of Queensland (Queensland Health) 2023
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