Abstract
BackgroundMultidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) are part of the standard cancer care process in many European countries. In France, they are a mandatory condition in the authorization system for cancer care administration, with the goal to ensure that all new patients diagnosed with cancer are presented in MDTMs.AimIdentify the factors associated with non-presentation or unknown presentation in MDTMs, and study the impact of presentation in MDTMs on quality of care and survival in patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods3999 CRC patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2014 in the area covered by the “Calvados Registry of Digestive Tumours” were included. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the factors associated with presentation in MDTMs. Univariate analyses were performed to study the impact of MDTMs on quality of care. Multivariate Cox model and the Log-Rank test were used to assess the impact of MDTMs on survival.ResultsNon-presentation or unknown presentation in MDTMs were associated with higher age at diagnosis, dying within 3 months after diagnosis, unknown metastatic status, non-metastatic cancer and colon cancer. Non-presentation was associated with a diagnosis after 2010. Unknown presentation was associated with a diagnosis before 2007 and a longer travel time to the reference care centres. Presentation in MDTMs was associated with more chemotherapy administration for patients with metastatic cancer and more adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stage III colon cancer. After excluding poor prognosis patients, lower survival was significantly associated with higher age at diagnosis, unknown metastatic status or metastatic cancer, presence of comorbidities, rectal cancer and non-presentation in MDTMs (HR = 1.5 [1.1–2.0], p < 0.001).ConclusionsElderly and poor prognosis patients were less presented in MDTMs. Geriatric assessments before presentation in MDTMs were shown to improve care plan establishment. The 100% objective is not coherent if MDTMs are only to discuss diagnosis and curative cares. They could also be a place to discuss therapeutic limitations. MDTMs were associated with better treatment and longer survival. We must ensure that there is no inequity in presentation in MDTMs that could lead to a loss of chance for patients.
Highlights
Multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) are periodical meetings between healthcare professionals with different medical expertise
We must ensure that there is no inequity in presentation in MDTMs that could lead to a loss of chance for patients
The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of MDTMs as part of colorectal cancer (CRC) care management in the area covered by the “Calvados Registry of Digestive Tumours”, by identifying the factors associated with nonpresentation or unknown presentation in MDTMs, and studying the impact of presentation in MDTMs on quality of care and survival
Summary
Multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) are periodical meetings between healthcare professionals with different medical expertise. After being recommended by the Calman-Hine report in 1995 [1], in response to the inadequacy and uneven cancer care delivery perceived, the organisation of MDTMs was endorsed in the National Health Service Cancer Plan, published in 2000 in the United Kingdom. Since, it has been implemented in many western countries. In France, they are a mandatory condition in the authorization system for cancer care administration, with the goal to ensure that all new patients diagnosed with cancer are presented in MDTMs
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