5. Innovations in Tumor Board Reviews

A tumor board review (TBR) is a treatment planning approach in which many doctors who are experts in different medical specialties, and often are from different hospitals, review and discuss the medical condition and treatment options of a patient. In many countries, the tumor board review is an important phase in the multidisciplinary oncological care pathway. In cancer treatment, a tumor board review may include a medical oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with drugs), a surgical oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with surgery), and a radiation oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with radiation). It is also called a multidisciplinary opinion. A tumor board is a regularly scheduled (typically weekly) meeting where cancer cases are discussed in a comprehensive manner. There is typically a pathologist present to review biopsy and surgical specimens, with the microscopic pictures projected on a large screen, as well as a radiologist to review pertinent scans. The tumor board functions as a comprehensive second opinion and allows specialists to have input on how cancer cases should be treated, thereby creating a type of community standard. The recommendations are not binding but are very helpful in tough cases. Some tumor boards are limited to one kind of cancer. Most commonly, these are for breast and lung cancer because of the frequency of cases. Others are general tumor boards where cases requiring complicated treatment decisions are reviewed.