Evaluating Treatment Plan Modifications from Surgeons' Initial Recommendations to Multidisciplinary Tumor Board...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Healthcare Management
• Clinical Decision-Making

Background:

• Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs) are crucial for collaborative cancer care.
• Limited data exists on surgeon recommendation concordance with MTB outcomes, especially in resource-limited settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate agreement between initial surgeon recommendations and MTB-finalized treatment plans.
• To assess changes in treatment intent (curative vs. palliative) and MTB decision implementation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 216 patients discussed in MTBs (Jan 2021-Dec 2023).
• Utilized kappa statistics and concordance analysis to assess agreement.
• Focused on treatment intent shifts and implementation rates.

Main Results:

• Strong concordance observed between surgeon and MTB decisions (Cohen's kappa = 0.89, p < 0.001).
• MTB recommendations modified or replaced surgeon plans in 63.4% of cases.
• MTB decisions were implemented in 100% of cases; shifts in treatment intent were infrequent.

Conclusions:

• MTBs play a vital role in collaborative cancer care decision-making.
• MTBs ensure consistent, individualized, and evidence-based treatment plans.
• High concordance and implementation rates highlight MTB value in optimizing patient care.