The Cancer Maps
Introducing
the Cancer Maps
The Cancer Maps are an RCGP award-winning interactive reference tool which summarise the NICE NG12 guidelines.
This interactive tool is designed to make the guidelines more accessible to healthcare professionals during consultations and summarise the guidance in three maps. This allows healthcare professionals to quickly reference NG12 guidelines in just a few clicks, acting as a reassuring referral guide and a helpful safety-netting tool in discussion with patients.

Quick reference to NICE guidance

Supports decisions

Educational resource

Reassures patients
The Cancer Maps tutorial
It is a valued tool for the Primary Care Networks and is included in the Early Cancer Diagnosis guidance of the Primary Care Network DES Specification and supported by The East Midlands Cancer Alliance and West Leicestershire CCG. The Cancer Maps tool has also received endorsement by NICE.


The maps were updated in 2021 to improve their functionality and visual appearance.
A number of new features have also been added:
- Background and risk factor information about each cancer type
- Links to relevant GatewayC courses
- Important false-negative figures for key investigations

Dr Ben Noble, GP Principal at Woodbrook Medical Centre and the Cancer Lead for East Midlands Cancer Alliance and Cancer Research UK. Creator of the Cancer Maps, an interactive reference tool which summarise the NICE NG12 guidelines.
GatewayC's Improving the Quality of Your Referral course
- Making the right decision: clinical decision making and safety netting, including a toolkit to support this
- Preparing your patient: what patients want to know when a referral is made, to effectively support them and to reduce the number of DNAs
- Completing quality referrals: information that should be included in the referral to reduce avoidable delays at secondary care
Specialist interviews include:
- Dr Richard Roope, Primary Care Adviser for Cancer Research UK and the Wessex Cancer Alliance GP Adviser
- Dr Ben Noble, GP Principal at Woodbrook Medical Centre and the Cancer Lead for East Midlands Cancer Alliance and Cancer Research UK
- Mr Malcolm Wilson, Consultant Colorectal and Peritoneal Oncology Surgeon
- Dr Pawan Randev, GP Partner and Trainer at Measham Medical Unit and a GP Cancer Lead for East Midlands Cancer Alliance and the East Midlands Cancer Network
- Miss Susannah Penney, Consultant in Head, Neck and Thyroid Surgery/Otolaryngology and Clinical Lead for Cancer at the Manchester Royal Infirmary
- Dr Matthias Hohmann, Medical Director at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice and Clinical Director for Cancer for NHS Oldham CCG
- Dr Anthony Cunliffe, GP and National Lead GP Adviser for Macmillan Cancer Support
- Dr Rosie Loftus, Chief Medical Officer at Macmillan Cancer Support
Personal stories:
- Saeed Shakibai, patient representative, diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2009
- Lauren Mahon, GIRLvsCANCER founder and BBC Radio 5 Live podcast “You, Me and the Big C” host
- Deborah James, BBC Radio 5 Live podcast “You, Me and the Big C” host
1 CPD hour available, plus optional 1 hour Learning Event.
“I plan to integrate the Cancer Maps into my daily routine consultation as I found them really helpful to remind me of further questions to ask from pt or further investigation to organise in order to clarify the underlying cause.” – GP, Manchester