Relevance of multi-disciplinary team approach in diagnosis and management of Stage III NSCLC.

Abstract

Lung cancer is reported as the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) constitutes 80%-85% of all lung cancers. Diagnosis of NSCLC is a complex multistep process. The prognosis of NSCLC is poor as most of the patients are presented at the metastatic stage. The management of these patients needs the expertise of different specialists. A multidisciplinary team (MDT) comprising specialists from different disciplines has a substantial role in improving outcomes in these patients. This is feasible through extensive discussions, accurate evaluation of patients, reviewing medical records, implementing ideal treatment strategies, and merging local treatments with systemic treatment concepts. Therefore, the MDT approach for stage III NSCLC management can enable early treatment initiation, optimal treatment modalities, and reduce healthcare expenditure. Studies have shown that MDT can provide multimodality care facilitating the diagnosis and treatment of stage III NSCLC, resulting in survival benefit of these patients. Thus, it is imperative to collate scientific evidence to get an insight into the MDT approach in advanced NSCLC treatment. This review aims to summarize the impact of MDT on treatment rates, survival outcome, treatment guideline adherence, and quality of life (QoL) of stage III NSCLC patients.