Same-Day Multidisciplinary Clinics for Patients With Newly Diagnosed Adult Solid Tumor Cancer: A Systematic Review

Same-day, colocated multidisciplinary clinics (MDCs) aim to expedite complex cancer care, yet their added value over sequential referral remains uncertain. We systematically reviewed comparative studies to assess their effects on treatment decisions, timelines, guideline adherence, and survival in newly diagnosed solid tumors.

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL through April 15, 2025, for studies comparing MDCs with routine care. Eligible studies involved same-day, on-site evaluation by ≥2 oncology specialties and at least one clinical or patient-centered outcome. Risk of bias was assessed with Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I).

Twenty-seven observational cohorts (>18,000 patients) met inclusion criteria: 17 studies (63%) were rated serious risk of bias and 10 (37%) were rated critical risk on ROBINS-I. Across studies, MDCs shortened the diagnosis-to-treatment interval and improved guideline concordance. A pooled analysis of two comparable cohorts showed that therapy began 9.5 days sooner (95% CI, -16.2 to -2.7 days; I² = 0%). Guideline adherence averaged 91% with MDCs versus 68% with routine pathways. Eleven series reported management change rates of 24%-52%, most often escalation to multimodality therapy or evidence-based de-escalation. Patient-reported satisfaction exceeded 90% in all five studies capturing this outcome, and two economic analyses documented reduced diagnostic expenditures without shifting cost to patients. A random-effects meta-analysis of two risk-adjusted cohorts showed improved overall survival (pooled hazard ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.68 to 0.87]; τ² = 0.004; I² = 51%).

Observational evidence suggests that same-day MDCs compress care timelines, raise guideline adherence, and may improve survival, while maintaining high patient satisfaction and neutral out-of-pocket costs. Randomized or quasi-experimental designs are needed to confirm causality and identify the clinic features that drive benefit.