When to engage ARC Portal

Expert support when rare cancer cases become difficult to move forward with confidence.

Rare cancers can push any clinician beyond familiar territory

Rare cancers are not well served by the usual pathways. Evidence is fragmented, presentations can be atypical and the right next step is not always clear – even for highly experienced clinicians.

Engaging ARC Portal is not a signal that something has gone wrong, nor should it be considered as a last resort. It exists for the moment a case becomes harder to navigate with confidence, and specialist input would help you move forward.

When ARC Portal can help

Diagnosis is unclear

When pathology, presentation, or disease progression is difficult to interpret with confidence.

Additional expertise would help

When broader national or international rare cancer insight could strengthen clinical judgement.

Treatment options are uncertain

When standard pathways are limited or the next step is unclear.

Non-standard pathways are being explored

Including clinical trials, compassionate access to new drug treatments, or emerging treatment approaches.

Genomics may influence next steps

When genomic or molecular findings need additional interpretation or discussion.

Local expertise needs to be extended

When a case would benefit from more concentrated rare cancer expertise or multidisciplinary input.

How ARC Portal can help

Once you've recognised that additional specialist input could help, ARC Portal provides practical support across diagnosis, treatment planning, genomics, and access to specialist expertise.

Expert case advice

Specialist input for rare cancer cases that need broader expertise or additional clinical insight.

Genomic insight

Interpretation of molecular findings and treatment relevance.

Collaborative review

Access to broader national and international expertise.

Treatment pathways

Guidance on trials, emerging therapies and compassionate access to new treatments.

National expertise,
wherever you practice

ARC Portal helps clinicians across Australia access trusted rare cancer expertise through one connected national gateway.

Whether a clinician is working in a metropolitan hospital, regional centre, or remote setting, the service helps connect them to the same broader network of specialist support.

National specialist network | Collaborative expert review | Genomic and molecular insight | Care stays with the treating clinician

Care always remains with the treating clinician.

ARC Portal is designed to be used early. Engaging ARC Portal does not mean handing over care. It means accessing a broader network of expertise to inform your next decision.

You remain the treating clinician throughout.

FAQs

ARC Portal is designed to be used early, not only as a last resort.

Many clinicians engage ARC Portal when a case becomes harder to navigate with confidence, or when additional specialist insight may help confirm or expand the next step.

ARC Portal may be useful when:

  • Diagnosis is unclear
  • Treatment pathways are uncertain
  • Genomic findings need interpretation
  • Broader specialist review would help
  • Non-standard or emerging pathways are being explored
  • Access to expertise is limited locally

ARC Portal is intended for situations where a rare cancer case would benefit from broader expertise, collaborative review, or additional specialist input.

This may include uncertainty around diagnosis, treatment planning, genomics, or access pathways.

Yes. ARC Portal can help clinicians access genomic and molecular expertise to support interpretation of findings and their relevance to diagnosis, treatment planning, or emerging therapies.

Yes. Where appropriate, ARC Portal can help identify relevant clinical trials, emerging treatment approaches, compassionate access pathways, or evidence that may support non-standard treatment options. Recommendations are informed by the individual patient's circumstances, available evidence, and specialist clinical expertise.

No. Care always remains with the treating clinician.

ARC Portal provides additional expertise and collaborative review to support clinical decision-making, but it does not replace or direct local care teams.

Every case is reviewed by clinicians with expertise relevant to the patient's diagnosis and clinical circumstances. Depending on the referral, this may involve multidisciplinary discussion and input from ARC Portal's national and international network of rare cancer specialists, including genomic expertise where appropriate

No. ARC Portal is a free national service available to clinicians across Australia.

Ready to submit a case?

If any of these situations sound familiar, ARC Portal is available to you. Submitting a case is straightforward and free.

More information for clinicians

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