Abstract
In recent decades, the complexity of cancer care has grown exponentially. Provision of high-quality care delivery requires access to and coordination among diverse members of the healthcare team, including, but not limited to, providers in medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, radiology, and supportive care. A key strategy for coordinating treatment plans is the use of interdisciplinary conferences in which physicians, nurses and technicians from these diverse disciplines collaboratively make treatment plans termed multidisciplinary tumor boards [ [1] El Saghir N.S. Keating N.L. Carlson R.W. Khoury K.E. Fallowfield L. Tumor boards: optimizing the structure and improving efficiency of multidisciplinary management of patients with cancer worldwide. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2014; : e461-e466 Crossref PubMed Scopus (101) Google Scholar ]. These meetings also provide a mechanism for obtaining feedback from colleagues on challenging cases requiring complex decision-making. Although results are mixed, some studies have shown benefits of multidisciplinary tumor boards in improving diagnostic accuracy, quality of life, provision of up-to-date treatment, and survival [ [2] Specchia M.L. Frisicale E.M. Carini E. et al. The impact of tumor board on cancer care: evidence from an umbrella review. BMC Health Serv Res. 2020; 20: 73 Crossref PubMed Scopus (27) Google Scholar ]. The use of multidisciplinary tumor boards has become a quality standard by accrediting organizations such as the Commission on Cancer, which requires at least 15% of all new cases at an institution to be presented to tumor boards. Tumor boards are also increasing internationally, with 86% of members of the American Society of Clinical Oncology practicing outside the US reporting access to tumor boards at their institution [ [3] El Saghir N.S. Charara R.N. Kreidieh F.Y. et al. Global practice and efficiency of multidisciplinary tumor boards: results of an American Society of Clinical Oncology international survey. J Glob Oncol. 2015; 1: 57-64 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar ].
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