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Tumor Board and Molecular Tumor Board

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Practical Medical Oncology Textbook

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Abstract

Specialized expertise and cooperation between different professional figures are increasingly needed for the management of cancer patients. Tumor boards (TB) can address this issue by gathering together different healthcare providers to periodically discuss challenging cases.

The advances in genomics and the advent of new technologies have led to an exponential increase in the genetic information available, but clinicians have a hard time keeping the pace with these developments. In this setting, molecular tumor board (MTB) aims to fill this gap by putting together treating physicians, basic and translational scientists, geneticists, bioinformaticians, molecular pathologists, and other figures.

Usually MTB is able to suggest a treatment option based on actionable genomic alterations found, but bureaucratic and economic issues may limit the effective access to the drug. Other issues are the development of MTB in local hospitals, possible lack of tumor tissue, uncertain classification of mutations, handling of unsolicited findings, etc.

Results from clinical trials suggest an improvement in numerous outcomes measures for patients evaluated in MTBs and TBs, however data are still scarce and there are not internationally approved guidelines. International data-sharing, consensus and standardization of procedures, techniques, and workflow are needed to fully develop the potential of MTB.

Christian Rolfo and Antonio Russo should be considered equally co-last authors.

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Author notes

  1. Lorena Incorvaia, Maria La Mantia and Giorgio Madonia should be considered equally co-first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Lorena Incorvaia

  2. Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Viviana Bazan

  3. Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Maria La Mantia, Giorgio Madonia, Daniele Fanale, Valerio Gristina & Antonio Russo

  4. Center for Thoracic Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai System & Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, USA

    Christian Rolfo

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Correspondence to Antonio Russo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Antonio Russo

  2. Oncology Department, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium

    Marc Peeters

  3. Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Lorena Incorvaia

  4. Center for Thoracic Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai System & Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA

    Christian Rolfo

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Incorvaia, L. et al. (2021). Tumor Board and Molecular Tumor Board. In: Russo, A., Peeters, M., Incorvaia, L., Rolfo, C. (eds) Practical Medical Oncology Textbook. UNIPA Springer Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56051-5_27

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