Lung cancer is a complicated disease.  Diagnosing and treating complex cases can require skills that cross a variety of medical specialties. Larger medical centers and hospitals may decide to discuss complex cases in tumor boards that include physicians that represent a variety of medical specialties.  

Our May 4, 2017, #LCSM Chat (at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific) will focus on defining what a multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) does, who is involved, and why MTB are important in the treatment of lung cancer.

The National Cancer Institute defines a tumor board review as:

A treatment planning approach in which a number of doctors who are experts in different specialties (disciplines) review and discuss the medical condition and treatment options of a patient. In cancer treatment, a tumor board review may include that of a medical oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with drugs), a surgical oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with surgery), and a radiation oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with radiation). Also called multidisciplinary opinion.

Some of the medical doctors with specialized training that might participate in an MTB are:

• Medical Oncologist: specializes in diagnosing cancer and treating it with medicines
• Pathologist: specializes in identifying diseases and conditions by studying abnormal cells and tissues.
• Pulmonologist: specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary (lung) conditions and diseases.
• Radiation Oncologist: specializes in treating cancer with ionizing radiation
• Radiologist: specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and injuries using medical imaging techniques, such as x-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and positron emission tomography (PET)
• Thoracic surgeon:  specializes in the surgical diagnosis, staging and treatment of cancer in the thorax (chest)

Moderator @JFreemanDaily will lead our discussion using the following questions:

• T1: What does a multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) do? Why is it important in #lungcancer treatment?
• T2: What types of #lungcancer cases can benefit by MTB review?
• T3: Who should be involved in an MTB? What medical specialties are usually represented?
• T4: How often does an MTB reach a consensus about diagnosis and treatment recommendations in #lungcancer?
• T5: What can patients do if their hospital does not have an MTB? What is the role of telemedicine?

Please join us for this valuable discussion. If you’re new to tweet chats, this primer will help.