Thoracic Multidisciplinary Tumor Board Routinely Impacts Therapeutic Plans in Patients With Lung and Esophageal Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study

Utility of a multidisciplinary tumor board in the management of pancreatic and upper gastrointestinal diseases: an observational study

“…In an attempt to identify clinical scenarios that might benefit most from MDTB discussion, we analyzed all cases with a change in the pre-conference plan but were unable to link any recorded variables to this outcome. Other strategies for improving MDTBs include standardization of conference preparation and proceedings 37–39 , electronic recording of pre-conference plans 12, 13 , and review of the efficacy of teamwork in decision-making 10, 11 . Our group has begun revisions to our MDTB through standardization of the electronic listing of patients.…”

“…Often this coordination of care takes the form of multidisciplinary tumor boards (MDTBs) with the intent to promote decreased variation in practice patterns, assure appropriate use of health care resources, offer educational opportunities for medical professionals, and improve outcomes of cancer care for select patient populations 3 . The use and benefits of MDTBs have been reported across various cancer pathologies, including breast 4, 5 , gynecologic 6–9 , urologic 10, 11 , upper gastrointestinal 12 , and thoracic 13–15 malignancies.…”

Oesophageal cancer

“…[38][39][40] Ideally the multidisciplinary team includes expertise in pathology, radiology, endoscopy, medical oncology, radiotherapy, surgery, nursing, dietetics and other relevant specialists as needed, e.g. laryngologists, physiotherapists and social workers.…”

The Multidisciplinary Approach to GI Cancer Results in Change of Diagnosis and Management of Patients. Multidisciplinary Care Impacts Diagnosis and Management of Patients

“…20 Discussion of patients in a multidisciplinary setting has resulted in considerable change in treatment recommendations. 3,4,[10][11][12][13] Our GI multidisciplinary programs show a change in treatment recommendation as high as 35 %, further supporting the impact multidisciplinary programs have on patient care. This study has some limitations.…”

“…Van Hagen et al report a 34.5 % change in treatment recommendation for patients participating in their multidisciplinary clinic with upper GI malignancies, and Schmidt et al describe a 26 % change in treatment recommendation for esophageal cancer patients and a 40 % change in treatment recommendation for lung cancer patients reviewed in their multidisciplinary clinic. 4,[8][9][10][11][12] At the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH), we utilize a formal multidisciplinary approach through specialized clinics across a variety of GI cancer subsites, including pancreas and biliary, esophageal and gastric, liver and neuroendocrine, and colorectal cancer. These programs involve stakeholders from all disciplines, and each are managed by an advanced practice provider (APP).…”