Cancer patients set to benefit from expanded oncology network

Australian cancer patients will have increased access to the latest oncology treatment technology and research, following the acquisition of major US integrated cancer care provider 21st Century Oncology by GenesisCare.

GenesisCare CEO Dan Collins said, “GenesisCare is delighted to partner alongside the leading physicians and specialist teams at 21st Century Oncology. Together, we can deliver a profound positive impact for cancer patients all around the world.

“If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us one thing, it is that we are stronger together than we are apart,” he said.

Over the past three months, cancer specialists at GenesisCare from the UK, Spain and HQ in Australia have been collaborating to ensure patients can continue to receive care in a safe environment.

“Our teams in Australia have looked to our counterparts in Spain and the UK, who have been able to continue delivering high-quality cancer treatments, despite being among the hardest hit countries from the virus,” Collins said.

GenesisCare’s Chief Medical Officer in Australia, Associate Professor Peter O’Brien, welcomed the acquisition and looks forward to extending this international collaboration into the world’s largest healthcare market.

“I’m personally looking forward to collaborating with our new colleagues at 21st Century Oncology and learning more about their integrated cancer care model,” he said.

“We specialise predominantly in radiation oncology, medical oncology and theranostics, so it will be fantastic to be able to work alongside our new surgical and urological colleagues in the US to design new protocols and map out treatment pathways.

“Our expansion into the US will accelerate patient access to the latest advancements in radiation therapy and new evidence-based modalities, such as stereotactic radiation therapy and theranostics. It will also allow extension of our data program, particularly around patient-reported outcomes to continually improve the quality of care.

“Our stereotactic service will now be led by an international team of specialists with patients benefiting from GenesisCare’s international evidence-based protocols, automated planning process and peer review, developed by a global team of tumour stream key opinion lead physicians. Our physician and patient oncology portal will enable our physicians to offer patients access to the latest evidenced protocols,” Associate Professor O’Brien said.

21st Century Oncology operates a unique integrated cancer care model which is designed to provide the entire spectrum of care to cancer patients, including imaging, radiation therapy, pharmacy, pathology, surgery, urology and medical oncology. Headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, the group operates more than 120 radiation oncology centres and another 170 integrated cancer care medical offices across 19 US states, with a major presence in Florida, California, the Carolinas and Texas.

Patients in Australia, the UK, Spain and now the US are expected to benefit from the combined experience of 21st Century Oncology’s specialists and GenesisCare’s international clinical network. The combined group of more than 5000 doctors, specialists and team will reach over 400,000 patients across 440 locations internationally each year.

Under the new partnership, GenesisCare will:

• invest in the latest treatment technology, including at least 11 Elekta Unity MR-linac systems;
• develop global tumour reference groups and electronic multidisciplinary teams to refine and develop new treatment protocols for patients;
• roll out international clinical trials across multiple continents through GenesisCare’s contract research organisation to improve patient outcomes;
• invest in new radiation therapy planning systems and IT infrastructure to allow specialists to conduct remote planning from anywhere in the world;
• share best practice in patient experience and satisfaction programs;
• invest in extensive training programs for physicians and staff to ensure rapid high-quality introduction and uptake of new technologies, treatment strategies and enhanced ways of working under the GenesisCare ‘Service of the Future’ model, which focuses on the patient promise to help all patients “live better for longer”.
   

Image courtesy of GenesisCare.