Multidisciplinary Care

Abstract

Optimal multidisciplinary care of the lung cancer patient at all stages should encompass integration of the key relevant medical specialties, including not only medical, surgical, and radiation oncology, but also pulmonology, interventional and diagnostic radiology, pathology, palliative care, and supportive services such as physical therapy, case management, smoking cessation, and nutrition. Multidisciplinary management starts at staging and tissue diagnosis with pathologic and molecular phenotyping, extends through selection of a treatment modality or modalities, management of treatment and cancer-related symptoms, and to survivorship and end-of-life care. Well-integrated multidisciplinary care may reduce treatment delays, improve cancer-specific outcomes, and enhance quality of life. We address key topics and areas of ongoing investigation in multidisciplinary decision making at each stage of the lung cancer treatment course for early-stage, locally advanced, and metastatic lung cancer patients.

Survival Outcomes Among Lung Cancer Patients Treated Using a Multidisciplinary Team Approach

“…2 Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) of specialized health care professionals have been shown to improve the outcomes of patients with various cancer types 3 ; however, the evidence for lung cancer in this regard, especially in the United States, has been scarce. [4][5][6] To date, questions regarding whether MDTs contribute to increased survival and a better patient experience or whether this model of care simply escalates expenses without cost efficiency and effectiveness remain.…”

The Role of Palliative Care in Oncology

“…50 Given the overwhelming benefit of such interventions, it is important to integrate IR into the multidisciplinary approach to optimizing supportive care in the cancer patient population. [51][52][53] Rational decision making for timely palliative interventional procedures during the course of a patient's disease necessitates an open dialogue among all members of a patient's health care team. Moreover, validated disease-specific quality-of-life assessments in the periprocedural setting are helpful tools to select appropriate interventions, and can be used to measure the efficacy of IR procedures on improving patient-reported outcomes and controlling symptoms.…”