A multidisciplinary medical team is comprised of healthcare professionals from diverse disciplines whose goal of providing optimal patient care is achieved through coordination and communication with one another. A multidisciplinary team provides a continuum of care for cancer patients through diagnosis, treatment, recovery and survivorship.
The paradigm of a patient consulting a multidisciplinary medical team has been an established standard approach in treating other cancers such as breast, colon and lung cancer. Properly qualified urologists should be involved in all aspects of the care of a patient with prostate cancer, including initial referral, diagnosis and subsequent management – but patients also often require the expertise of other disciplines to provide optimal care. Improving communication among urologists, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists to develop an optimal treatment plan at every stage of the disease can benefit the patient in determining the best course of treatment.