MACO - Medical Affairs and Community Oncology

Community Cancer Network

The Community Cancer Network (CCN) is the multidisciplinary team that connects all ACB cancer care sites and services, including community partners that support the delivery of high quality cancer services to all citizens of Alberta regardless of where they live.

The CCN is comprised of two tertiary, four associate and 11 community cancer centres, and provincial initiatives that converge across the spectrum of cancer care to include psychosocial and palliative care programs, prevention and screening services and partnership with Regional Health Authorities.

The CCN enables patients to receive cancer care and treatment closer to home. Whenever possible, cancer care is provided to patients in or near their home community, rather than requiring that patients travel long distances to receive treatment. The criteria to access the Community Cancer Network through associate or community centres are as follows.

a patient must meet the eligibility criteria for treatment under ACB's Outpatient Cancer Drug Benefit Program;
a patient's chemotherapy must, in the judgment of his or her tertiary or associate cancer centre physician, be able to be safely and effectively administered at the community cancer centre;
a patient must be under the care of the designated community cancer centre physician while receiving chemotherapy and continue to consult his or her own family physician for non-cancer related care; and
a patient would return to the tertiary or associate cancer centre for a follow-up evaluation by an oncologist as necessary.