448 SYSTEMATIC IMPLEMENTATION OF A REGIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM MEETING IMPROVES PROGNOSIS FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER PATIENTS.

Abstract

Abstract Surgery for esophageal cancer (EC) has been centralized in the Netherlands. However, patients are still diagnosed in referral centers and not all patients are discussed with a resection center. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the implementation of the regional Upper-GI video multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT) in the Eindhoven region in which all regional patients should be discussed, on the decision-making process, treatment, and survival of patients with EC. Methods All patients diagnosed between 2012 and 2018 with EC, in hospitals currently working together with the Catharina hospital, were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (n = 1119). The regional MDT was implemented in 2 hospitals in May 2014 and the other hospitals gradually joined. The primary outcome of this study was the proportion of patients discussed in any MDT. Secondary outcomes were involvement of a resection center in MDT, treatment and survival. Outcomes were described prior to and after participation in the regional MDT and analyzed by chi-square tests. Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to compare overall survival. Results Since participation in the regional MDT more patients were discussed in any MDT (80%-89%, p < 0.0001) and involvement of a resection center during the MDT almost doubled (43%-82%, p < 0.0001). The proportion of patient who underwent treatment with a curative intent remained the same (75%). However, esophagectomy (41%-43%) and endoscopic resections (2%-6%) were performed more often and the use of definitive chemoradiation therapy decreased (31%-25%)(p = 0.049). The use of palliative systemic therapy increased (39%-52%, p < 0.001). Three-year overall survival for all EC patients increased significantly (24%-32%, p < 0.02)(Figure). A non-significant increase in 3-year survival in potentially curable patients (38%-48%, p = 0.09) and 1-year survival in palliative patients (18%-26%, p = 0.13) was observed. Conclusion After implementation of the regional MDT more EC patients were discussed during a MDT and also more often with the involvement of a resection center. This is the first study showing an association of the implementation of a regional MDT with an improved survival. Hypothetically, the implementation of the regional tumor specific video MDT could have had a positive effect on the quality and effectiveness of decision making in patients diagnosed with EC.