What Is a Tumor Board and What Does a Multidisciplinary Approach Mean for Your Care?
Contributor: Abdominal Radiologist - Daniel Margolis, MD
Imaging most often provides diagnoses that are critical in allowing physicians to decide on what treatment is best for their patients. However, some cases are complex, and the best treatment plan may not be clear. As part of Weill Cornell Medicine, our radiologists participate in multidisciplinary conferences to help determine what care is best for individual patients with complex problems.
Cancer (oncologic) care can often be complex with many options, and a Tumor Board is an example of how a multidisciplinary approach can benefit you as a patient.
A Meeting Built Around Complex Cases
Each week, Weill Cornell Medicine radiologists join other specialized physicians including surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists and sometimes social workers for specialized multidisciplinary tumor board meetings. Together, they review any cases where a patient's condition calls for more than a straightforward treatment path.
What Patients and Providers Gain
When a case is brought to a tumor board, everyone at the table contributes their expertise toward one goal: figuring out the best possible path forward for that specific patient. This can mean:
Access to treatments or clinical trials that might not otherwise come up in a standard appointment
Input from multiple world-class specialists
A more complete picture when it's unclear whether a current treatment is working
The Role of Imaging and Our Radiologists
As physicians with expertise in imaging and image guided interventions, radiologists play a central role in these discussions. When a patient's case is presented, our radiologists display and walk through the patient’s relevant imaging, helping the group understand the full picture. That includes:
Pinpointing exactly where a tumor is located
Identifying nearby organs and structures that need to be protected during treatment
Assessing whether a treatment is working or not
Recommending additional imaging or tests when more information is needed
- Contributing guidance on biopsies and minimally invasive procedures that treat tumors using needles rather than surgery
Care That's Built Around You
At Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian, our radiologists are proud to be part of Weill Cornell Medicine’s multidisciplinary approach to care to bring their expertise to these meetings not only in cancer but also for the many other diseases and conditions we diagnose. Working together to provide the best care in even the most complex of cases.