The effectiveness of lung cancer MDT and the role of respiratory physicians

Abstract

There is an increasing trend for the use of multi-disciplinary teams (MDT) in the management of complex medical conditions. The latter may include various cancers, including lung cancer. However, the use of MDT is not restricted to cancer management, but may include complex conditions like diabetes and other non-malignant disorders. There is an increasing trend to use MDT in the investigation and management of patients with suspected or proven lung cancer. This review examines the evidence that supports the efficacy, or otherwise, of lung cancer management in a MDT as opposed to individual care, who should be a member of a lung cancer MDT, and the specific role of the respiratory physician in a lung cancer MDT. Although it may seem to make common sense to manage lung cancer in a MDT setting, there is actually little in the way of high quality data to support this concept. The logistic and ethical difficulties in researching this issue are highlighted in this review.

Keywords: evidence base; guideline adherence; lung cancer; multidisciplinary team meeting; programme evaluation.