Multi-Disciplinary Review

In Australia it is considered a best practice for breast cancer treatment to be managed through a multidisciplinary team (MDT)approach.

This means that the health professionals involved in your care meet to discuss the best treatment options for you and work together to:

 

• Plan
• Execute and 
• Review each case

 

In this way you can be assured that your treatment is tailored specifically to you, by a team of Melbourne's leading cancer specialists.

There are several specialties that meet to discuss your individual case. The following health professionals may be involved in the care of a woman with breast cancer:

Your surgeon will present your case to the multidisciplinary meeting as your surgeon. There will be other breast cancer surgeons present. Together they will agree on the best course for your surgical management.

The Pathologist who attends the MDT meeting is there to present the microscopic findings of any cytology or histology findings to assist in the planning of your definitive treatment.

The Radiologist uses their breast imaging expertise in the diagnosis and sampling of breast abnormalities. Like the Pathologist, the Radiologist is a core member of the multidisciplinary breast cancer team. The Radiologist and Pathologist will interact as the diagnostic part of patient care, with an important aspect of the MDT being the correlation between the Radiologist’s imaging findings and the Pathologist’s histologic or microscopic findings.

A medical oncologist treats cancer using chemotherapy or other medications, such as targeted therapy or immunotherapy. At the meeting, it will be decided whether it is appropriate for you to see a medical oncologist.

A Radiation Oncologist is a medical specialist doctor with training in the use of radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) to cure or reduce the symptoms of cancer, and in the overall care of cancer patients. Many patients will require a consultation with a radiation oncologist, and this will be discussed at the meeting.

Breast cancer nurses are a key point of contact between oncologists and patients and are important for the continuity of care of breast cancer patients. The breast care nurse will be present at the meeting to ensure she is fully up to date with your treatment recommendations.

The genetic cancer team at Prince of Wales Hospital provides individuals with an accurate assessment of their personal risk for developing breast cancer or ovarian cancer and offers a plan for follow-up and preventive care. You will be referred to the genetics team if your doctor, or any one else at the multidisciplinary meeting believe you are at risk of a potential gene mutation.