When improving services for cancer in the Hume region, we build our activities around the needs of particular cancer types; these are referred to as tumour streams. Tumour streams are a way of grouping cancer types according to the location of the cancer.

There are 10 main tumour streams, which collectively account for around 90% of all the cancers in Victoria.

The ten tumour streams are:

• Breast cancer,
• Colorectal cancer (rectal and colon cancers),
• Gynaecological cancers (ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers),
• Haematological malignancies (cancer of the blood - lymphomas, leukaemia, and myeloma),
• Genito-urinary cancers (prostate, bladder, kidney and testicular cancers),
• Lung cancer,
• Skin cancers (particularly melanoma cancer),
• Head and neck cancers (oral, larynx and pharynx cancers),
• Upper gastro-intestinal cancers (oesophageal, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver and gallbladder cancers), and
• Central nervous system tumours (brain, spinal cord and meninges).

Typical activities that Hume RICS undertakes to improve cancer services in relation to tumour streams include:

• the development of regional multidisciplinary teams for cancer streams,
• the review of the service standards within our regions against the best practice recommended treatment, and
  
• ongoing improvement to systems and processes where necessary.