The multidisciplinary approach of the oncological patient – the key to an effective treatment
The oncological pathology is an extremely complex one and it implies the involvement of several specialists at different stages of diagnosis and treatment, as well as separate, sometimes repeated, consultations of each specialist (radiologist, surgeon, medical oncologist, radiotherapist, etc.) often set on different days and hours, which consumes valuable time in the development of the disease and requires additional, repeated and exhausting efforts for the patient. It is very important to mention that this chain, sometimes long, of consultations and investigations, to which the patient is subjected, increases the probability of discrepancies between the views of specialists on the tactics of diagnosis and treatment. In this context, in countries with developed medicine, cancer is being addressed in specialized multidisciplinary centers, within the “Tumor Board” – a concept implemented by Medpark International Hospital, for the first time in our country. The “Tumor Board” involves the simultaneous meeting of specialists from different fields, at the same time, at a single table, in order to discuss with each patient individually and to make jointly agreed decisions regarding the diagnosis and the treatment plan.
What specialists are part of the “Tumor Board”?
The Medpark “Tumor Board” multidisciplinary team includes the following specialists: medical oncologist, morphopathologist, radiologist, surgeon, radiotherapist, psychotherapist and specialized nurses. Doctors from other fields can also join, depending on the specific condition.
The “Tumor Board” members first assemble to establish the diagnosis, stage and plan the specific treatment, then after each treatment stage – to assess the effectiveness of the treatment by evaluating the tumor response and deciding the subsequent treatment tactic, depending on the achieved results.
Statistics show that after evaluating the oncological patient within the “Tumor Board”, in more than 50% of cases, the surgical treatment tactic is modified.
The benefits of the “Tumor Board”
- Favors the timely establishment of a correct diagnosis;
- Allows the identification of the most effective and optimal treatment tactics;
- Helps prevent overtreatment;
- Reduces the time between different stages of diagnosis and treatment, and therefore, the total duration of the treatment;
- Improves the quality of the oncological patient’s life;
- The success rate of treatments increases by 18%, according to statistical data.
