Tumour Board to review complex cancer cases

Tumour Board review is conducted when teams of expert physicians meet to review and discuss complex patients with a diagnosis of cancer. It is a treatment planning approach in which a number of doctors who are experts in different medical specialties review and discuss the medical condition and treatment options of a patient.

Board’s role in cancer cure
Tumour Board is a treatment approach where doctors from multiple disciplines review cancer cases together to arrive at the appropriate treatment modality. They include Radiation Oncologists, Medical oncologists, Surgical Oncologists and Haemato-oncologists. The primary goal of Tumour Board is to improve the care of cancer patients through exchange of experience among the participating physicians. At American Oncology institute (AOI), a weekly international tumour board is conducted wherein the doctors from all locations of American Oncology Institute across India collaborate with an international team of cancer experts from University of Pittsburgh Medical College (UPMC), one of the pioneers in cancer care in the USA.

The multi-disciplinary approach
An effective cancer care requires a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach, wherein the surgical oncologist, medical oncologist and radiation oncologist discuss and decide the best approach to management of each case. It is also very important that treatments are not clinician specific but are based on standardized clinical protocols and regimens. These protocols are developed using evidence gathered after treating thousands of cancer cases across the globe and in India.

International Tumour Board
AOI is one of the few or possibly the only cancer hospitals in South Asia where an International Tumour Board is conducted weekly, during which the doctors from UPMC oncology team also join their counterparts in diagnosis, treatment planning for specific cases as well as reviewing the results and progress thusensuring precision cancer care. UPMC, is renowned for providing the most authoritative and informed recommendations in oncology treatment.

Reviewing complex cases
At AOI, difficult and complex cases are taken up for review during the weekly International tumour board. The physicians go through the detailed history of patient & advise the best possible treatment, based on standardized protocols. These cases are followed up through the treatment period as well as regular updates on the progression of treatment & post treatment is done through the following months.

The international tumour board consists of multidisplinary team of doctors including Radiation oncologist, Medical oncologist, surgical oncologist, Nuclear medicine consultant, Pathologist & Radiologist from across all locations of AOI namely Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guntur, Ludhiana, and Nagpur & is chaired by the Chairman of Oncology (Dr Stanley Marks) of UPMC, USA.

Treatment Plan
The treatment plan recommended for the patients are the collective decision taken by the tumour board. These protocols have been agreed by a multi-disciplinary team of doctors. They review the case thoroughly & the most ideal treatment is recommended based on the standardized treatment protocols. The radiation therapy plan & the chemotherapy plan are of utmost importance in cancer treatment. During the international tumour board, these treatment plans are discussed in detail & are customized/planned as per individual patient’s need. At times, the treatment decisions are altered as per International Guidelines & Experience of the experts for better care of the patient. Thus, ensuring highest quality of treatment to the patient.

American Oncology Institute at Citizens Speciality Hospital is part of the elite global network of International Tumor Board and conducts the international tumour board every Wednesday. This enables our multi-disciplinary team of experts to work in close coordination with the leading medical professionals of the world. Together, we leverage cutting edge technology to offer the most advanced cancer.(The writer is MD (AIIMS),
Consultant Radiation Oncologist & Medical Director, American Oncology Institute, Hyderabad)