Tumor board second opinion

Obtaining a joint interdisciplinary opinion developed by a team of experts. The service is available wherever there is an internet. All you need is a PC or a smartphone.

Tumor board review

A tumor board review is a collective evaluation and discussion of cancer patient cases. It involves several specialists, who represent different areas of medicine relevant to the therapy of a particular malignant disease type. The goal is to assess the situation as accurately as possible and work out the best customized treatment strategy.

Why are joint decisions better?

Combining competencies gives patients a number of benefits.

Reach beyond the individual boundaries

Cancer is a complex and very multifaceted disease.

However, constant improvement of highly specialized technical tools, advances in pharmacology, as well as and scientific discoveries provide for increasingly high cure chances.

But a single physician is not able to encompass all of these options. In order to make sure that all relevant details are taken into account, and nothing that might be decisive for the patient, gets missed, several experts need to be involved.

Collective intelligence ensures correct decisions

Today, diagnoses are based on numerous and diverse imaging, pathology, molecular genetics, and other studies. At the same time, quite a few interpretations of each individual finding might be possible. Truth, as we know, is born in an argument, or, more precisely, an unbiased consideration of different reasons and opinions leads to it. For cancer patients, the involvement of an entire pool of experts means reliable making of vital decisions.

Planning together is the way to success

It takes a lot of experience to recognize a tiny tumor early on a scan. And that's exactly what radiologists can do. On the other hand, oncologists are much more familiar with the side effects of systemic therapy, e.g., with cytostatics. Whereas it is up to molecular geneticists to decide if chemotherapy is appropriate to treat breast cancer, for example. The list of such associations could be continued. Therefore, it is always better if specialists are able to work together at the stage of therapy planning.

You can't do it alone

A surgeon does not make a decision about surgery on his or her own. Neither does a radiation therapist in regard to recommending irradiation, nor does an oncologist prescribe cancer drugs without ascertaining that another option would not be a better alternative.

Modern cancer care implies a joint discussion and search for the most promising ways of treatment, or adequate control of a malignant disease, between representatives of these three main therapeutic specialties, with the involvement of radiologists and laboratory (pathology) specialists.

Four eyes see more than two

When a cancer is difficult to classify or presents a particularly complex type, a single physician can at some point reach the limits of his or her competence. In this case, an expert team comes to the rescue. Colleague opinions help to draw the right conclusions and jointly develop the best therapy concept.

Where and when are tumor boards held?

Multidisciplinary conferences discussing cancer patient cases are common practice at multidisciplinary health care facilities. They take place regularly (usually once a week) in each oncology area. The board includes physicians specializing in the fields that may be involved in the treatment of a particular type of cancer, e.g.:

  • hematologist oncologists;
  • surgeons of all specialties (general, visceral and thoracic surgery, gynecology, breast care, urology, neurosurgery, heart surgery, orthopedics, dermatology, ophthalmology);
  • specialists in various fields of internal medicine (e.g., gastroenterologists, endocrinologists);
  • pediatricians;
  • neurologists;
  • radiologists;
  • radiation therapists;
  • pathologists.

Patient data presented for expert review include the disease course and evaluation of the patient's current condition, examination findings and information on the presence of concomitant diseases. All details are carefully studied by the board participants. The situation is considered from as many points of view as possible, an interdisciplinary discussion is held. Based on such comprehensive case analysis, as well as the individual circumstances and patient wishes, the doctors come to a joint decision on further actions in the nearest and further perspective.

What is the tumor board second opinion service about?

A team of experts from a major comprehensive health care facility or certified cancer center reviews the clinical case of a patient primarily cared for at another medical facility.

Provided that all medical records were collected and prepared very carefully, and the volume of information meets professional criteria, a remote case presentation is no different from the in-house one, either in terms of process or outcome.

Why would a collective second opinion of several specialists be necessary?

The decision of an interdisciplinary expert panel may be helpful:

  • to ascertain the cancer stage;
  • to dispel doubts about the diagnosis and/or suggested treatment;
  • to determine a course of action while initiating therapy or before the next therapy phase;
  • to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment;
  • to develop a holistic therapeutic concept;
  • to find solutions if the disease is progressing rapidly while standard options have been exhausted;
  • to manage rare malignant diseases;
  • to decide between several treatment options;
  • to prevent chronic disease intensification due to cancer therapy;
  • to obtain information on the most advanced diagnosis and therapy methods;
  • to find the best hospital, specialized cancer center, or a specialist most experienced in a particular disease.

What is the outcome?

As a result of the tumor board discussion, the patient obtains a written interdisciplinary panel review, which may:

  • exclude or confirm the diagnosis;
  • confirm or refine the disease stage;
  • conclude whether the diagnosis was sufficient;
  • recommend additional examinations.

Furthermore, the report may recommend the appropriate timing of follow-up studies, the most effective methods to monitor the disease, and the best treatment options, as well as provide information on possible participation in clinical trials involving the latest therapy regimens.

What data do I need to provide to obtain tumor board recommendations?

Written records:

  • physician report (advisable);
  • imaging scan (X-ray, CT, MRI, PET-CT) descriptions (advisable);
  • laboratory test results.

The basic price includes up to 5 pages.

Imaging files:

  • X-ray,
  • CT,
  • MRI,
  • PET-CT,
  • Ultrasound.

The basic price includes up to 2 studies.

In which format is a tumor board second opinion provided?

A written consultation:

  • an interdisciplinary tumor board review (up to 1 page).
Loading...

Specialists in Tumor board review

You do not have to spend hours getting through busy hospital lines, or sitting in waiting rooms. Expert advice will be delivered fast and free of your effort.

Rating — [[ item.rating ]] [[ item.reviews ]]
Speciality:

Speciality:

Rating — [[ item.rating ]] Review — [[ item.reviews ]] Experience — [[ item.experience ]]

Languages:

Nothing found, try changing search options

Reviews : Tumor board review

Ирина

Tom Luedde

Спасибо компании Медконсонлайн за отличную организацию консультации по скайпу с профессором Людде для моей свекрови! Доктору удалось убедить её не заниматься чисткой печени народными методами и медикаментозным растворением камней в желчном пузыре…

Рузанна Д.

Darius Salehin

Специалист – гинеколог доцент Залеин провёл для меня очень хорошую дистанционную консультацию. Спасибо.

Катерина

Darius Salehin

Приват – доцент Залеин заочно сделал для меня консультацию «второе мнение». Получила рекомендации по дальнейшему обследованию. Обязательно буду обращаться ещё.

Карим

Johannes Grossmann

Медикаменты, которые заочно мне рекомендовал врач Гроссманн, оказались очень эффективными, мне стало гораздо лучше. Как жаль, что нет возможности приехать лично.

Сергей Петрович

Johannes Grossmann

Много лет регулярно лечился у доктора Гроссманна, но теперь обратился заочно. По скайпу провели консультацию, подробно всё обсудили. Хорошо, что есть такой вариант.

Земфира А.

Oleg Gluz

Доктор Глуц лечил меня раньше, после операции я регулярно приезжала к нему для контроля. Но в этот раз обратилась за заочной консультацией. Мы провели её по видеосвязи, и я осталась очень довольна. Очень хорошо всё было организовано. Большое спасибо!