Cancer Screening Program - CaSP

Cancer Screening Program (CaSP) is the screening program associated with PrOSPeCT. It provides free comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) for eligible Australians with advanced, incurable or poor prognosis cancers to help identify potential matches to biomarker-led clinical trials and other treatment options.

Part 1: Screening Australians diagnosed with advanced, incurable or poor prognosis cancers

Screening involves Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (CGP) at no cost to the patient.

CGP analyses the genetic and other molecular characteristics of a patient’s tumour to identify the  specific features driving its growth. The CGP is carried out by NATA accredited pathology laboratories.

A national team of experts, called the Molecular Oncology Board (MOB), reviews the genomic profile of the tumour alongside other clinical and patient information.

The Molecular Oncology Board (MOB) provides the referring clinician with a report that includes the genomic profiling results and recommendations for potential biomarker-matched clinical trials and treatment options.

Once a patient has provided written consent to participate in CaSP, it typically takes 8-10 weeks for the referring clinician to receive the MOB report. Patients indicated as urgent by the referring clinician will be fast-tracked, with MOB reports returned in 5-6 weeks.

Part 2: An observational cohort study of people enrolled in CaSP

CaSP is a type of research called an observational cohort study. This means researchers collect and analyse information about people participating in the program over time to better understand their cancer, treatment pathways and outcomes.

CaSP does not involve testing a specific treatment or intervention and is not a clinical trial.

Its primary purpose is to make comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) more broadly available to people with unmet need and to use that information to identify potential matches to clinical trials and other treatment options.

The information collected through CaSP helps researchers, clinicians and policymakers better understand how CGP is used in practice, its impact on patient care, and how precision oncology can be implemented more effectively across Australia to benefit future patients.

Part 3: Research Registry and Biobank

CaSP maintains a research registry and biobank to facilitate the observational cohort study and provide a resource for future research including clinical trial and treatment matching, and epidemiological and public health and other cancer research studies helping advance knowledge of cancer and its treatment over time provide a valuable resource for future research, including clinical trial matching, treatment discovery, epidemiological, public health and other cancer research.

Participation in CaSP requires referral from a patient’s treating oncologist.

Patients aged 16 yrs and older with solid cancers that are advanced, incurable or with an earlier diagnosis of a poor prognosis cancer, who are willing and fit enough to participate in a clinical trial are eligible.

Your treating oncologist will assess your eligibility, complete the CaSP referral forms, and provide all relevant information. Refer to the CaSP information sheet for all inclusion and exclusion criteria.

• Agreeing to all parts of CaSP
• Consenting to the access of tumour samples held by pathology laboratories for comprehensive genomic profiling
• Evaluation of molecular and clinical information for trial matching or molecular guided treatment
• Completing questionnaires
• Consent to access your health records, including information from Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)