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The impact of multidisciplinary team conferences in urologic cancer in a tertiary hospital

  • Urology - Original Paper
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Multidisciplinary team (MDT) conferences are currently the standard of care in cancer patients’ management. Despite evidence supporting benefits to the majority of malignancies, a paucity of data exists examining the impact in urinary and male genital cancers. This study aims to evaluate the impact of MDT conferences in urologic cancer practice.

Methods

Clinical plans discussed in urologic MDT conferences in Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central between January 2019 and December 2019 were retrospectively analysed. Clinical plans were categorized as accepted, changed, rejected (cases that had to be re-presented to the MDT because of insufficient staging or administrative issues) or no plan. MDT conferences’ impact was assessed according to type of consultation, referral medical specialty and primary tumour type.

Results

710 clinical plans were discussed at the MDT conferences. 61.8% were accepted, 10.6% were changed, 16.5% were rejected and 11.1% of cases referred to MDT discussion had no defined clinical plan. First consultations had a higher rate of accepted clinical plans (63.4%) versus subsequent consultations (56.4%). Referrals by the urology specialty had the highest rate of acceptances (64.3%). On the stratification by primary tumour site, testicular cancer had the highest acceptance rate (70.3%), whereas bladder cancer had the lowest (47.8%).

Conclusions

MDT conferences had an important impact in the management of 38.2% of cases. Therefore, all patients with urologic malignancies should be referred to MDT review to ensure optimal clinical care.

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Funding

No financial support was provided.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Urology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, EPE, Rua José António Serrano, 1150-199, Lisbon, Portugal

    Miguel Gil, João Guerra, Vanessa Andrade, Mariana Medeiros, Thiago Guimarães, Rui Bernardino, Gil Falcão, Fernando Calais da Silva & Luís Campos Pinheiro

Authors
  1. Miguel Gil
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  2. João Guerra
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  3. Vanessa Andrade
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  4. Mariana Medeiros
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  5. Thiago Guimarães
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  6. Rui Bernardino
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  7. Gil Falcão
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  8. Fernando Calais da Silva
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  9. Luís Campos Pinheiro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miguel Gil.

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The authors report no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study was conducted according to the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Gil, M., Guerra, J., Andrade, V. et al. The impact of multidisciplinary team conferences in urologic cancer in a tertiary hospital. Int Urol Nephrol 53, 41–47 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-020-02608-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-020-02608-6

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