Medical Oncology

Wait times

Triage category Standard wait time Average wait time*/**

Medical Oncology

Emergent 1 day No data
Urgent 7 days 11.4 days
Semi-Urgent 14 days 26.3 days
Semi-Urgent 2 21 days 21.7 days
Non-Urgent 1 28 days 33.3 days
Non-Urgent 2 42 days 34.2 days
  View chart [PDF - 20 kB]

#N/A - shown if less than six encounters

* As of April 28, 2023

** Data represent the patient’s wait from the date referral was received by Medical Oncologist to first consultation. Cancer Care Nova Scotia may report elsewhere on the wait time from a “trigger event” to first consultation. Therefore, data may differ slightly.

 

Triage criteria and referral process for physicians

Medical Oncology

Emergent
Criteria (not all inclusive)
  • Superior Vena Cava obstruction by small cell lung carcinoma
Process
1) PHONE 902-473-2220 “Medical Oncologist on call”
2) FAX referral marked EMERGENCY
  • Provide direct number to contact referring physician
  • Imaging reports and images
  • All pathology/cytology reports
  • Blood work
Urgent
Criteria (not all inclusive)
  • Ewing’s sarcoma (preoperative chemotherapy)
  • Inflammatory breast carcinoma
  • Metastatic testicular germ cell tumor
  • Osteosarcoma (preoperative chemotherapy)
  • Small cell lung carcinoma
  • Urgently requested consult
Process
1)
FAX referral marked URGENT
  • Provide direct number to contact referring physician
  • Imaging reports and images
  • All pathology/cytology reports (germ cell tumor)
  • Blood work
  • Urgent Breast Cancer
    • Estrogen/ Progesterone receptor status required;
    • Index mammographic films and report
Semi-Urgent
Criteria (not all inclusive)
  • Anal carcinoma
  • Esophageal carcinoma (preoperative chemotherapy)
  • Gastric carcinoma (preoperative chemotherapy)
  • Grade 3 cerebral glioma
  • Head & Neck cancer (concurrent chemoradiation)
  • Locally advanced breast carcinoma, non-inflammatory
  • Metastatic bladder carcinoma, symptomatic
  • Metastatic Ewing’s sarcoma
  • Metastatic Osteosarcoma
  • Non-small cell lung carcinoma
  • Pancreatic cancer (preoperative chemoradiation)
  • Rectal cancer (preoperative chemoradiation)
  • Stage 1 germ cell tumor of testes
Process
1) FAX referral
  • Imaging reports and images
  • O.R. reports
  • All pathology/cytology reports
  • Blood work
  • Breast Cancer
    • Estrogen/progesterone receptor status required;
    • Index mammographic films and report
Non-Urgent 1
Criteria (not all inclusive)
  • Metastatic breast carcinoma
  • Metastatic melanoma
  • Metastatic soft tissue sarcoma
  • Resected pancreatic carcinoma (adjuvant chemotherapy)
Process
1) FAX referral
  • Imaging reports and images
  • All pathology/cytology reports
  • Blood work
  • Breast Cancer
    • Estrogen/progesterone receptor status
    • Her-2/neu status required
Non-Urgent 2
Criteria (not all inclusive)
  • Colon and rectal carcinoma (adjuvant chemotherapy)
  • Early stage breast carcinoma (adjuvant chemotherapy)
  • Gastric carcinoma (adjuvant chemotherapy & metastatic disease)
  • Metastatic colorectal carcinoma
  • Metastatic carcinoid tumor, asymptomatic
Process
1) FAX referral
  • Imaging reports and images
  • All pathology/cytology reports
  • Blood work

 

Contact information and forms

Fax 902-473-6079
Mailing address Nova Scotia Cancer Centre (NSCC) Referral Office
5780 University Avenue
Dickson Building
2nd Floor Dickson - Main Level
Halifax, NS  B3H 1V7
Medical Oncologists View list of physicians
Forms Cancer Care Program Referral Form [PDF - 65 kB]
Website NSHA Cancer Care Program

 

Learn more about our division
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View the Division of Medical Oncology