The Challenges of a Multidisciplinary Oncology Team

The decisions made by the Multidisciplinary Oncologic Team (MOT) should consider multiple aspects such as individual patients’ health status, availability of local facilities, and expertise. During a traditional MOT staff round for solid-organ cancers, one of the most important decisions to be made is whether or not to operate (in combination with adjuvant therapies), and, if surgery is not an option, to direct the patient to alternative therapies, palliative treatment or follow-up. The choice to operate on a cancer patient leads to the possibility of the patients’ experiencing surgery-related complications. On the other hand, an inappropriate “wait and see” policy could lead to tumor progression toward an inoperable stage or result in the need for much more mutilating surgical procedures. The proposed diagram may assist medical professionals in making appropriate treatment decisions; in the case of suboptimal therapeutic cascade, referral to specialized centres should be suggested.