The Primary Purpose of Multidisciplinary Teams in Cancer Care
The main purpose of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) for a patient with cancer is patient treatment optimization (Answer D). 1, 2
Core Function: Treatment Optimization
MDTs are fundamentally designed to optimize treatment decisions and improve clinical outcomes by integrating expertise from multiple specialties, thereby enhancing diagnostic accuracy and delivering survival benefits. 2 The evidence consistently demonstrates that:
- Improved clinical outcomes are directly linked to MDT discussions for individual cancer patients when experts meet regularly to review cases. 1
- MDTs improve communication, coordination, and decision-making in the cancer care process between healthcare professionals and patients, but these functions serve the overarching goal of treatment optimization rather than being endpoints themselves. 1, 2
- Treatment plan formulation is the core function—bringing together healthcare professionals from different fields to determine the optimal therapeutic strategy for each patient. 3
Evidence of Clinical Impact on Outcomes
The guideline evidence demonstrates measurable improvements in mortality and morbidity:
- 5-year survival rates are higher in colorectal cancer patients managed by MDTs in the United Kingdom. 1, 2
- Positive circumferential resection margins drop from 26% to 1% when MRI findings are discussed by an MDT versus when they are not. 1, 2
- Local recurrence rates fall to 2.3% in patients with T3a/bN0 disease and 0% in selected other stages when MDT collaboration and standardized techniques are employed. 1, 2
- Diagnostic accuracy improves significantly, with MDTs correcting 20% of referral diagnoses and formulating correct diagnoses in 93.4% of cases. 4
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
Compassion (Option A)
While compassion is a valuable attribute in cancer care, it is not the defining purpose of an MDT. 2 Compassionate care can be delivered by individual clinicians; the MDT structure exists specifically to optimize treatment decisions through multidisciplinary expertise. 1
Judgment-Free Discussions (Option B)
Judgment-free discussions facilitate the MDT process but are not its primary purpose. 2 The goal is to reach optimal treatment decisions, not simply to create a particular discussion environment. The most important reasons for changing decisions within MDTs are comorbid disease, patient preferences, and availability of additional clinical information—all factors related to treatment optimization. 1
End-of-Life Care (Option C)
MDTs have an ongoing role throughout the entire cancer patient pathway—from initial diagnostic work-up, through decisions about resectability, to treatment strategies after surgery. 1, 2 End-of-life care represents only one facet of MDT responsibilities across all disease stages, not the primary purpose. 2
Operational Framework for Treatment Optimization
The MDT optimizes treatment through specific mechanisms:
- Initial assessment to define whether disease is resectable or unresectable and to consider management of the primary tumor. 1
- Reassessment of resectability within 2-3 months of starting therapy for patients initially deemed unresectable. 1
- Integration of additional clinical information that individual specialists may not possess, leading to treatment plan modifications in a substantial proportion of cases. 1
- Standardization of techniques and interpretation across disciplines, which has been shown to dramatically reduce recurrence rates. 1
Cost-Effectiveness of Treatment Optimization
Quality improvement through MDTs is highly cost-effective: the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Project demonstrated costs of less than EUR 700 per saved life, compared to EUR 11,000 per saved life-year for adjuvant chemotherapy. 1 This underscores that the primary value of MDTs lies in optimizing treatment decisions to improve outcomes, not in providing emotional support or discussion forums.