Clinical studyA single-institution prospective evaluation of a neuro-oncology multidisciplinary team meeting
Section snippets
Background
Tumour board meetings or multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTs) are a core component of clinical cancer management [1], and have been advocated to ensure timely clinical input on complex oncological cases by multiple specialists with relevant expertise [2]. They often comprise of nurses, allied health professionals, surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, radiologists and pathologists and their importance has been recognised for facilitating communication, coordinating management
Methods
All cases discussed over a three-month period at the neuro-oncology MDT were prospectively evaluated for the impact of the MDT on clinical decision making. All cases were discussed prior to the meeting by representatives of the referring teams (MA, WN, DM), and a pre-MDT plan was documented prior to the meeting. Cases were also categorised according to the major reason for discussion (RFD), with standard categories including routine review of tissue from operations performed in the previous
Results
The neuro-oncology MDT at our institution consists of neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, radiation oncologists, neuro-radiologists, pathologists, clinical nurse consultant and trainees. Cases are typically drawn from within the institution, with a meeting agenda circulated at least 24 h prior to the meeting. Occasional cases are referred from external sites for an expert or second opinion. All neurosurgical procedures performed for oncology cases within the hospital are typically discussed at
Discussion
In this prospective study we evaluated a neuro-oncology MDT at a tertiary Australian referral centre. This study allowed valuable insights into the typical caseload of the MDT, the rate of HID, the factors influencing HID and the time taken for discussion as well as rates of concordance to MDT recommendations.
We found that the MDT impacted significantly on decision-making in just over a third of cases discussed, with most changes to treatment plans involving a change in the treatment modality.
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2023, Journal of Gastrointestinal Cancer
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Contributed equally.