Multi-disciplinary treatment boosts cancer patients’ survival

Cancer Center of Manila Med head Dennis Sacdalan says several studies have shown that multidisciplinary treatment helps lower mortality rates among cancer patients. (PNA photo by Ma. Teresa Montemayor)

MANILA — Cancer patients have a greater chance of survival and recovery if given a multi-disciplinary treatment (MDT), a health expert said Wednesday.

“Before, early detection of the cancer is the main determining factor for cancer survival. While this is still true today, MDT provides additional benefits,” said Dennis Sacdalan, head of the Cancer Center of Manila Med in a press briefing.

Sacdalan said MDT allows physicians to create an effective treatment plan that is more fit to the needs of their cancer patients.

MDT involves an entire team of doctors and all health professionals who could provide help for the patients’ treatment.

“It may involve nurses, social workers who can help them look for resources as we know cure for cancer involves a lot of expenses, gathering a surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and other specialists will be called to a meeting and discuss with patient everything about cancer care,” Sacdalan said.

He explained the cancer patient talks about symptoms during an MDT conference while the experts in the team offer diagnosis of the cancer and specific treatments that could be appropriate for the patient.

“All these happen in one sitting, no transfer of rooms, so this is more convenient. Also, patients end up with more savings because experts are able to coordinate better, this saves them from duplication of laboratory tests, this also saves their time which is precious as far as treatment is concerned,” he added.

Apart from the financial status of most cancer patients, Sacdalan confessed that the lack of cooperation from older physicians in this type of treatment challenges the full promotion and practice of MDT in most hospitals.

“There’s this traditional practice where one doctor is the main physician who will refer to other doctors, and the patient has to go back to the main physician. It’s an issue of ownership which becomes a problem with MDT because the patient becomes a shared client for the doctors, this is an issue for older doctors who are quite sensitive about ownership,” he said.

Sacdalan said all cancer patients are recommended to undergo MDT but most hospitals practicing it have limited staff who can attend to the increasing number of cancer patients nationwide.

“Because there are many patients, we limit MDT meetings to patients who need it more because they have advanced disease that may require more complicated treatments which must be well-coordinated, to patients with a chance to be cured or better survival, or to patients who require several doctors in their treatment,” he said.