Telangana: Hospitals should have tumor boards for cancer care, says senior oncologist

Dr Mallik Singaraju says the goal of MTB is to arrive at comprehensive; evidence-based, personalised treatment approach

Hyderabad: Hospitals involved in treating cancer patients must strive to establish multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs) comprising of a panel of oncologists from various specialties who can arrive at the ideal personalised treatment modality for cancer patients, says senior radiation oncologist from Continental Hospitals, Dr Mallik Singaraju.

The panel of cancer care specialists in the MTB will collaborate and discuss patient cases and arrive at the best possible treatment plan. The board should consist of medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, neuro surgeons, urologists, gastroenterologists, geneticists, pain and palliative care experts, and other specialists involved in comprehensive cancer care, he said.

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The goal of MTB is to arrive at comprehensive; evidence-based, and personalised treatment approach. A personalised treatment plan is developed for each case by discussing the intricacies of each case in detail to tailor treatment according to the patient’s specific needs, Dr Mallik said.

There are numerous studies indicating that MTBs improve survival rates, quality of life, and adherence to treatment protocols among cancer patients. An MTB helps improve diagnostic accuracy as radiologists and pathologists provide precise diagnostic inputs and reducing errors, he said.

The advent and improvement in technology has now enabled Virtual Tumor Boards that employ telemedicine and digital platforms to connect experts remotely. Other benefits of such boards include evidence-based recommendations based on latest research and clinical guidelines, standardization of protocols, reduction of risk of individual biases affecting decisions, promotion of coordination between different specialists, avoiding fragmented care, he added.