Cancer services

The cancer services team works closely with services at Homerton Hospital and our partners hospitals and community services. Multidisciplinary teams meet regularly to discuss patients’ care and treatment plans. We work to cancer waiting time targets set by the government.

If you are referred by your GP for suspected cancer on the Urgent Suspected Cancer Pathway, we will arrange your tests very quickly and tell you if you have cancer or not within 28 days. Most people referred this way DO NOT have cancer. However, if you do have cancer, we will start your first treatment within 62 days of the referral. 

Each year, we care for many patients with cancer. We support patients through their treatment, give follow-up support and offer Palliative Care to help manage symptoms. We aim to deliver a high quality, patient-focused service by taking account of Psychological  and social needs, as well as medical treatment. We ensure that our patients receive the best personalised and most up-to-date care.

We have a Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service where patients can receive free information, support and financial advice from the Macmillan Information and Support Manager.

Our Acute Oncology Service (AOS) assesses patients who are admitted to the hospital with complications due to cancer treatment.

Please see the information below about our services for the different types of cancer. But please first read the next section about the importance of keeping your appointments.

Appointments within Cancer Services

In line with national guidance on cancer waiting times, we are working to give patients a diagnosis within 28 days of their suspected cancer referral. To help us achieve this, it is vital that you attend all appointments so we can organise the correct appointments.

For some pathways you may be invited to have a diagnostic test before you see a doctor. This provides the doctor with information about health more quickly and means we will be able to diagnose you faster.

Patient demand for our services is high so please let us know in advance if you can no longer attend your appointment. On average, we waste 20 urgent appointments each week because patients do not cancel in advance; this represents about seven hours of a doctor's time.

If you would like to cancel/reschedule an appointment, please contact the correct team:

  • first appointments for urgent suspected cancer (when we’re checking you for cancer) please contact the Cancer Referrals Office on 020 8510 5099
  • follow up appointments please contact the Central Bookings Team on 020 8510 5544. (Make sure you tell them you need to be seen urgently so they reschedule your appointment appropriately.)
  • diagnostic appointments (e.g. X-ray, scans, colonoscopy) please contact the department directly.

If you are not able to attend for more than 3 weeks or you do not attend several appointments without advance notice, we may need to discharge you to your GP. We would welcome your re-referral at a time when you are able to attend in future.

Please find patient Information about the Urgent Suspected Cancer Pathway.