A patient's Cancer Care Team: who's on it, how is it chosen, and what does it do?

We've all heard of patients who had a "cancer team," a group of medically-skilled persons who had come together, each to provide his or her own particular medical expertise, in a "team" effort to assist the patient in his cancer journey.

Perhaps some of us have even had such a group of medical persons, a team, in the past, working for us in some coordinated way. Perhaps we have one now.

But while we have likely heard of such teams, how much do we really know about them? What is their makeup, how are they are put together, how long do they work together, etc.?

A couple of short descriptive videos:

Their function:

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=medical+multidisciplinary+team&mid=d3b543784704cd6d46bad3b543784704cd6d46ba&form=vire

how their meetings go:

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=medical+multidisciplinary+team&mid=fb64470833f63a299c1dfb64470833f63a299c1d&form=vire

Also, as compiled from various websites, who some team members might be:

PRIMARY:

Medical Oncologist
Surgeon
Radiologist
Radiation Oncologist
Pathologist or Cytologist
Oncology clinical nurse specialist
Oncologist
Pathologist
Diagnostic radiologist

AS NEEDED:

Rehabilitation therapist .
Physical therapist
Oncology social worker
Patient navigator.
Palliative care specialist
Mental health professionals
Chaplain or spiritual support advisor
Nutritionist
Speech Pathologist.
Dentist
Psychologist
Anesthesiologist
Case manager
Genetic counselor
Nutritionist/dietitian
Occupational therapist
Palliative care doctors and nurses
Oncology social worker
Genetic counselors
Oncology clinical pharmacist
Registered dietitian

although obviously a team is structured according to an individual patient's particular needs, eliminating the need for probably most of these specialists in individual cases.

Some other facts about the CCT, gathered from various websites:

ORGANIZATION:

The person "leading the overall cancer treatment" is usually the head of the team, and is in charge of initial selection of the team members. He also is usually the team "captain," chief decision-maker, and usual chair of the team meetings. Organization is very flexible, adding or deleting team members as needed.

TEAM MEETINGS:

The team meetings are held regularly, but special meetings can be held as the need arises. The patient may or may not attend some or all of the meetings, depending on the PCP's judgment on the suitability of doing so, as well as on the patient's personal preference for doing so or not. Meeting minutes will be kept as well as appropriate medical notes taken.

COORDINATION

Coordination takes place with other treatment units, such as Surgery, Radiation, Physical Therapy, or others as needed.

What struck me while reading about the CCT was just how similar it seemed to me to be to the typical "special project" committee that might be set up in almost any business, for the purpose of dealing with an issue that has come up, and which requires assembling a group of the business's experienced and expert employees to take care of.

So while we may think of doctors as mostly doing medical things, such as examining patients, doing surgery, writing prescriptions, etc., those who are members of CCTs may also be performing the kinds of purely administrative or organizational duties one might associate with typical business executives: running meetings, preparing action plans, dealing with organizational and personnel issues and challenges, etc.

And while the CCT's ultimate "product" will be optimum health care for a particular patient, the process toward achieving that goal will likely involve standard business practices as well.

I started with my Internist, a Urologist and a Radiation Oncologist. When the Uro moved away to a distant practice and the PCa had gone to stage 4, I referred myself to the facility that had done my axumin F 18 so I could go over the pictures with someone who knew what they were looking at. I immersed myself in research and called a good friends Medical Oncologist.

End result is a new Urologist, Medical Oncologist, Radiation Oncologist and a Radiation Oncology nurse practitioner (just saw him this past Friday). 2 years 9 months since last radiation treatments ended, the nurse practitioner is the only one of my team I still meet with. Others will be there if I need them.

I kinda stumbled into my first team, deliberately chose the current team.