Systemic Treatment Program

The Systemic Treatment Program improves the experience for all cancer patients receiving:

• chemotherapy
• hormone therapy
• immune therapy
• targeted therapy
• supportive care treatment

Systemic Treatment in Ontario

Cancer patients are offered treatment based on their stage, type of cancer and personal preferences. Systemic treatment is a form of cancer treatment, which uses drugs that circulate through the body to cure or slow down the progression of cancer. These treatments may alter hormone levels, directly interfere with cancer cell reproduction, or activate the immune system. Treatments can be given in multiple ways, including by intravenous injections, subcutaneous injections, infusions (parenteral treatment), or in pill form (oral treatment). Commonly, systemic treatment is given in combinations with multiple drugs in standardized treatment regimens.

The Systemic Treatment Program works to support safe, high-quality care for all Ontarians while they are within a cancer centre or at home.

Program Purpose

• Expand the quality and safety agenda to encompass all settings where cancer patients have symptoms or receive treatment
• Strengthen our models to support sustainability and care close to home
• Monitor the effectiveness and accessibility of our system

Implementation Plan 2024 to 2028

Significant changes have occurred since the previous Systemic Treatment Implementation Plan was released in 2019, including increases in systemic treatment volumes, complexity of care, and a wider range of available therapies.

Our updated four-year plan includes targeted initiatives designed to assist Regional Cancer Programs in addressing key challenges including health human resources constraints, and systemic treatment capacity planning.

The implementation plan initiatives aim to improve the safety, quality and accessibility of systemic treatment across Ontario. The plan emphasizes:

• a person-centred approach to systemic treatment
• collaborating with regional and provincial stakeholders, healthcare providers, patients and their care partners
• addressing gaps in care for patients receiving systemic treatment while ensuring that clinical evidence drives efforts

View Plan Summary

Program Initiatives

• Implement guidelines related to systemic treatment, e.g., Hepatitis B Virus Screening and Management for Patients Receiving Systemic Treatment
• Maintain and continue to enhance the Drug Formulary, which provides cancer drug and regimen information for patients and healthcare providers; the Drug Formulary contains approximately 1,600 documents and generates over 120,000 page views each month
• Identify, assess, implement and measure appropriate solutions to improve quality and safety issues for patients receiving systemic treatment, including effective toxicity management and preventing systemic treatment-related incidents
• Support patients on take-home cancer drugs through patient education, safety, monitoring and medication adherence initiatives
• Maintain a sustainable funding model that supports high-quality practice
• Facilitate and support implementation of initiatives from the Optimizing Ambulatory Systemic Treatment Models of Care Recommendations Report