A multidisciplinary team or MDT is the internationally recognised standard for cutting-edge cancer care. It’s a group of health professionals who convene to arrive at an appropriate treatment plan, bringing together expertise and perspectives from diverse domains into one room. The objective is to concur on the best possible care pathway for the patient, based on latest evidence and guidelines.

A second opinion offered by an MDT is critical since a collective of surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists and pathologists put their heads together to review a case, which can often throw up an altered diagnosis and treatment plan. Each case benefits from the shared knowledge of experts who scrutiny your results, mull over your circumstances and advise on the most appropriate next step.

Composition of the MDT

A typical team could include:

Consultant oncologists: Specialists in drug treatments like chemotherapy, targeted therapy or radiotherapy.
Surgeons: Doctors who plan and perform surgeries when required.
Radiologists: Professionals who interpret scans and imaging to figure out how far the cancer has progressed.
Pathologists: Experts who study tissue samples to confirm the exact type of cancer.
Clinical nurse specialists (CNS): Often the patient’s principal point of contact. They support the patient, explain subsequent steps and make sure that his/her views are put across.
MDT coordinators: Those who call and document the meetings.
Pain & Palliative Care specialist

Apart from them, others like physiotherapists, dietitians, psychologists and palliative care specialists could join, depending on the patient’s situation.

What happens with an MDT

The team meets at regular intervals to review the results of your tests and scans. They examine:

The type, size and stage of the cancer.
The patient’s general health and personal circumstances.
Current national treatment protocols.
Any preferences or targets the patient might have shared with the team.

How the patient benefits

The MDT’s job is to make a recommendation, not take any decision in silo. The patient’s input is critical.

The patient will be notified: Following the MDT parley, the consultant or CNS will discuss the recommendations with the patient and answer queries.
The patient will give consent: No treatment will begin without the patient’s permission.
The patient can seek another opinion: The patient is entitled to seek another point of view.

A coordinated, multidisciplinary approach thus helps in collective decision-making and comprehensive care of patients with cancer through a spectrum of medical specialties and support initiatives. More specifically, an MDT review for a second opinion provides a fresh set of eyes on pathology and imaging, makes sure that all possible therapeutic angles have been considered, and aligns the treatment pathway with the latest, expert knowledge for better patient outcomes.

Referral to an MDT becomes even more imperative in complex cases which don’t fit neatly into standard diagnostic/treatment algorithms, and/or when there are considerable changes to the patient’s conditions and there’s a need to consider alternative treatment options.