Multidisciplinary breast cancer care occurs when all relevant clinicians work together in a coordinated way to care for a woman with breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) believes that best outcomes in breast cancer care are achieved when a multidisciplinary approach is adopted. All women should be offered a multi-disciplinary approach to their breast cancer care.
Women should be given written information about the members of their multidisciplinary breast cancer team.
- A must for women with early breast cancer is a multidisciplinary team (MDT) that includes a surgeon; medical oncologist; radiation oncologist; pathologist; radiologist and breast care nurse. It should also include at least one person with psychosocial skills and expertise. Other team members may include a physiotherapist, gynaecologist, plastic surgeon or other health professionals.
- Ideally MDT members should meet to discuss a woman’s care before her definitive surgery and again before adjuvant treatment commences.
- There are currently a number of barriers to implementation of multidisciplinary care (MDC) in the Australian health care system. These may be financial or as a result of vast distances and geographical isolation. In some cases the barriers exist as a result of clinicians’ or institutions’ reluctance to engage in this model of care. The private health system has been generally slower to respond to this model than the public system.
- There are many centres presently offering MDC to Australian women with breast cancer. Multidisciplinary care is currently being offered to women with breast cancer in some large teaching hospitals, in some rural settings and in some private breast units – it can be done.
- There is no one model of MDC that is right for every setting. In most places where MDC is offered, the model will be unique to that setting.
- Ideally, a woman’s GP should be a member of the MDT. At a minimum there should be communication between the team and the GP.
- Good communication is an essential feature of MDC – with the woman and her family as well as between team members. Discussions that take place between team members regarding a woman’s care should be documented. In MDT meetings, a team member should be identified who will communicate with the woman.
- Whilst MDTs work best if all members can come together, sometimes it is not possible. Some successful meetings in rural locations utilise teleconferencing and other e-technology to assist communication where team members cannot be in the same geographical location at the same time.
- MDC remains important for women with advanced breast cancer. Advanced breast cancer MDT members may differ but the important element is good coordination of care between team members and communication with the woman.
