Multidisciplinary management of cancer patients: chasing a shadow or real value? An overview of the literature

Purpose Multidisciplinary cancer conferences (MCCS) are designed to optimize patient outcomes. It appears intuitive that MCCS are essential to clinical decision-making and patient management; however, it is unclear whether that belief is supported by evidence. Our objectives were to assess the currently published literature addressing the impact of MCCS on clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. Methods Ovid MEDLINE was searched from 1950 to June 2010 using these keywords: multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary/clinical meeting$/conference$/round$/team$, decision making, neoplasms$/cancer$/oncology/tumo(u)r conference$/board$/meeting$, multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary cancer conference$/meeting$. All trials, guidelines, meta-analyses, reviews, and prospective and retrospective studies were included. Results The keywords retrieved 595 abstracts, and 30 manuscripts were obtained. Most of the studies assessed the impact of MCCS on clinical decision-making rather than on patient outcomes. Conclusions Available evidence supports the belief that MCCS significantly influence clinical decision-making and treatment recommendations. In contrast, scant evidence suggests that MCCS improve patient outcomes. Unfortunately, the current literature is substantially heterogeneous and therefore does not allow for firm conclusions.