Acute Oncology Guidelines

UKONS- Acute Oncology Initial Management Guidelines V 4 (2023)  

Please follow the link above to access the updated UKONS Acute Oncology Guidelines.

The revised guidelines have been endorsed by UKAOS - UK SACT Board - Society of Acute Medicine.

Guidelines for the initial management of adult patients who have a cancer diagnosis, and present as an emergency or unplanned admission with a complication of their disease or cancer treatment.

 These guidelines relate to the initial assessment and immediate management of Acute Oncology patients, i.e. patients presenting with an acute problem, demonstrating symptoms deemed as having been caused by:

• Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT)

• Radiotherapy

• Malignant disease

• A previously undiagnosed cancer where an urgent oncology/haematology assessment is required

Please update your guidance to ensure you have the updated version.

The UKONS Ap will be updated in due course

UKONS 24 Hour Triage Tool  

The triage tool is a widely used clear symptom-based risk assessment process, that uses a RAG scoring system to triage patients who may be suffering from side effects/toxicities as a result of Systemic Anti- Cancer Treatment.

Assessment tool 

Log sheet

Instruction mannual

Primary Care Risk Assessment Tool for Oncology/ Haematology Patients 

A risk assessment tool for patients who are receiving or received systemic anti-cancer therapies, receiving or recently received radiotherapy or at risk of disease related immunosuppression.

Macmillan and UKONS worked in partnership with health care professionals to develop an Oncology/ Haematology Risk Assessment Tool for Primary Healthcare Professionals. 

This reliable, easily used risk assessment tool ensures that patients who suffer from complications/toxicities relating to systemic anti-cancer treatment (including chemotherapy) and/or radiotherapy are identified and managed appropriately to achieve the best possible outcome.         

Pocket tool 

Poster 

Instructions for use

All UKONS Guidelines are for the use of medical professionals only. They are not intended for public use, including by oncology patients. UKONS does not permit the creation of derivative works, unless they are authorised.

• Immune-Related Adverse Event Management

• Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression 

• Neutropenic Sepsis

• Nausea/ Vomiting

• Skin Rash

• Acute Kidney Injury

• Thrombosis

• Diarrhoea

• Constipation

• Dyspnoea/Shortness of Breath 

• Mucositis/Stomatitis/Oesophagitis

• Fatigue

• Metabolic Emergencies

• Superior Vena Cava Obstruction (SVCO)

• Abdominal Ascites

• Cerebral/other CNS oedema /cerebral space occupying lesion

• Malignant Pleural Effusion/Pericardial Effusion

  Links to International and National guidelines:

• Society for Endocrinology Endocrine Emergency Guidance: Acute management of the endocrine complications of checkpoint inhibitor therapy

• European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) - Management of toxicities from immunotherapy:  ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. ESMO Management of toxicities from immunotherapy - slide set PDF

• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - NICE