With growing pressures on healthcare systems, regional oncology networks and structured care pathways are increasingly seen as ways to enhance both efficiency and quality of cancer care. Building such networks across multiple hospitals and specialties, however, is complex and lacks established models. A study, performed by a consortium of collaborators, including Cancer Center Amsterdam, evaluated the development of regional oncology care pathways within the OncoNoVo+ network, involving 13 hospitals and 216 professionals across multiple specialties.

Six cancer pathways
More than 200 medical specialists, researchers, nurse specialists, and case managers worked together to design six cancer care pathways, covering esophagogastric, pancreatic, small intestinal, rectal, liver, and biliary tract cancers. These pathways are designed to streamline diagnosis and treatment across hospitals.

High satisfaction among clinicians
To evaluate this effort, a survey was conducted between October 2024 and January 2025 among clinicians from the participating hospitals. With a response rate of 63%, the results were encouraging: nine out of eleven satisfaction statements received a median score of 75 or higher on a 0–100 scale. The highest praise went to the importance of regional care pathways, the recommendation to expand them beyond the region, and the effectiveness of the OncoNoVo+ app, which supports clinical collaboration.

Key success factors
Clinicians identified several key ingredients for success: strong coordination, close collaboration, effective use of technology, and mutual respect between professionals and institutions. At the same time, they pointed out areas for improvement, including clearer implementation strategies, better communication, more regular updates, and ensuring equal involvement of all hospitals and specialties.

A model for the future
The study demonstrates that building and maintaining regional oncology networks is both feasible and valuable. By working together, hospitals can reduce fragmentation in care, improve efficiency, and ultimately enhance outcomes for patients with complex cancers. Still, the researchers emphasize that attention must continue to be paid to communication and equal participation, so that all centers and specialties benefit equally from the collaboration.

You can read the full article here: Development and provider assessment of a new oncology network with care pathways for gastrointestinal cancer patients: the collaborative approach | BMC Cancer

You can find more information about the OncoNovVo+ network here: OncoNoVo+, het oncologie­netwerk van Noord-Holland en Flevoland