Referring Physicians

The Odette Cancer Centre referral process

All new patients must be referred by physicians only. A completed referral form along with supporting documentation must be submitted before an appointment can be scheduled.

Please note that returning patients that have not been seen within the last 18 months must be re-referred by their physicians.

Download the main referral form (PDF) 
Send us an eReferral or search for us on the Ocean Healthmap

Referral forms must include complete patient demographics. Supporting documentation may include:

• Diagnostic imaging reports
• Pathology reports
• Surgical transcription
• Lab results
• Imaging CD or films

Appointments will be scheduled within 48 hours, providing all relevant information has been received. The new patient referral office or care group coordinator will contact the referring office by telephone with the appointment date and time. Patients do not need to call to confirm appointments.

New patients: Visit the Odette Cancer Centre welcome guide here.

Specific rapid diagnostic, and assessment programs (see criteria per site)

• Breast Rapid Diagnostic Unit
• Rapid Results Prostate Biopsy Clinic
• Colorectal Cancer Diagnostic Assessment Program/DAP (expedited colonoscopy for highly suspicious cases, or at diagnosis)
• Lung Cancer Diagnostic Assessment Program
• Melanoma Rapid Diagnostic Unit
• General Skin Clinic

Our catchment area

The Odette Cancer Centre provides both provincial specialty care as well as care for our catchment area only. We have some specialized programs that are supported by the Ministry of Health as specialized programs, which allows us to service patients from across the province of Ontario. Some examples include specialized head and neck surgery, liver and pancreas surgery, the hepatic artery infusion pump program, and the Gamma Knife Icon treatment for brain tumours. In addition, we do provide specialized clinical trials for some treatments where there is no limitation by catchment area.

However, there are other programs, such as standard chemotherapy, where excellent care can be provided at many local hospitals in Ontario and thus, our service for this is sized to serve only the local catchment area for Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. The catchment area is generally defined by the following around Sunnybrook’s Bayview Campus:

• North up to Highway 401
• South to St. Clair Avenue
• East to the Don Valley Parkway
• West to Bathurst Street

If you are seeking care that is restricted by catchment area, please be reassured that your local hospital is also mandated to provide the equivalent and excellent care that we would provide here. In these situations, again, we are sorry that we cannot provide you care here as our program is sized to service our local area only.

Patients without OHIP

• Referrals will be assessed and approved through the Odette Cancer Centre approval process. If approved an appointment will be assigned.
• Approval for all treatments for Out of Province patients is required before treatment can be provided, as the inter-provincial rates do not cover the costs of drugs or radiation therapy.