Tumor Board ?

Gamecocks

My oncologist is presenting my case to a Tumor Board on Thursday. I believe he just wants to have my case looked at by other professionals and that this is a good thing. I am 5 weeks postoperative, with Grade 4 (with small % sarcomitoid aspect) but only a Stage 1. The surgeon said he "got it all" and it was clear cell.

Anyone else have their case taken to a Board? Results? Helpful?

thanks for any experience/insights guys...

dhs1963

Not a big deal

Tumor boards are a way for Dr's to present thier findings to other doctors and hear discenting opinions.  Good for the patient.

Darron

Communication

It is good that your doctor discusses your case with colleagues. It is less likely that any details will be overlooked. My oncologist makes references to cases he has seen (that are not his patients) and shares my information with "the tumor board" as well.

it is not a sign that things are bad, rather, it is a reason for confidence that your doctor appears to communicate well with his peers.

MDCinSC

My doctor refers to them as a

My doctor refers to them as a "Pathology committee."  Whatever they are called, it is good news for everyone involved with the tratment of this disease.

With that many eyes looking and asking questions, the chances of getting the right treatment increase.

Michael

garym

Sounds like...

your doc makes the needs of the patient the top priority and his own ego way down the list...gotta love that!

Djinnie

Tumour Board

In France all major medical treatments have to be assessed and determined by a medical board. They then monitor your case to completion, which is good to know.

Djinnie

GSRon

Djinnie said:

Tumour Board

In France all major medical treatments have to be assessed and determined by a medical board. They then monitor your case to completion, which is good to know.

Djinnie

The Board

Yes, my case was looked at as well..  This way you get multiple opinions on your suggested treatment, without you having to do anything.  And as I understand it, this group is a VERY select group from all over, not all local Docs..  

Galrim

Where I live (Denmark)

Its standard procedure post surgery no matter your stage or grade. The case is presented to a board (they call it a conference here) consisting of minimum 1 urologist, 1 oncologist, 1 radiologist. Basically they summarize the whole case and make a decision on the follow-up schemes based on your specific case.

For the first 2 years after surgery you still "go on the board" after every control scan. After 2 years, if still NED, your case is "only" reviewed by a radiologist and your urologist. 

/G

dhs1963

Galrim said:

Where I live (Denmark)

Its standard procedure post surgery no matter your stage or grade. The case is presented to a board (they call it a conference here) consisting of minimum 1 urologist, 1 oncologist, 1 radiologist. Basically they summarize the whole case and make a decision on the follow-up schemes based on your specific case.

For the first 2 years after surgery you still "go on the board" after every control scan. After 2 years, if still NED, your case is "only" reviewed by a radiologist and your urologist. 

/G

At NIH, they also present the follow up scans at clinic

At NIH, they try to present eveerything at clinic meetings before they start seeing patients.  From my perspective, that works great, as the Urological Oncologists will see it, and the Thorasic Surgeons will see it.  So, when the urologist reported on the finding of a lung met, the thorasic surgeron had already seen it.  And given his opinion.  So, we were able to start the ball moving quickly....additional scans, etc.  at the get go. 

the thing is, we want our Dr's to be perfect, but they are not.  And they do not have an unlimited sample size.  Having multiple doctors look it over increases the likelyhood of a correct diagnosis. 

Another way to put this:  I am a geophysicist.  In my work, I am often trying to figure out what is going on with limited data.   In Technical Meetings, you will often have multiple groups looking at the same data with vastly different conclusions.  The different in the medical field is one of scale.  The body is small compared with the earth, and it is possible to do things to the body that we can't do to the earth.  (we can not get the resoltuion of a CT or MRI with seismic imaging).   There are better imaging techniques, exploritory approach, and then there is still unknown. The difference between RCC and RCC with 5% sarcomitoid differentiation means that 1 in 20 cancer cells showed the feature.  And the features, the spindles, are defined based on the shape.

It is not as exact as we would like.  Tumor boards are probably a good thing.

Gamecocks

dhs1963 said:

At NIH, they also present the follow up scans at clinic

At NIH, they try to present eveerything at clinic meetings before they start seeing patients.  From my perspective, that works great, as the Urological Oncologists will see it, and the Thorasic Surgeons will see it.  So, when the urologist reported on the finding of a lung met, the thorasic surgeron had already seen it.  And given his opinion.  So, we were able to start the ball moving quickly....additional scans, etc.  at the get go. 

the thing is, we want our Dr's to be perfect, but they are not.  And they do not have an unlimited sample size.  Having multiple doctors look it over increases the likelyhood of a correct diagnosis. 

Another way to put this:  I am a geophysicist.  In my work, I am often trying to figure out what is going on with limited data.   In Technical Meetings, you will often have multiple groups looking at the same data with vastly different conclusions.  The different in the medical field is one of scale.  The body is small compared with the earth, and it is possible to do things to the body that we can't do to the earth.  (we can not get the resoltuion of a CT or MRI with seismic imaging).   There are better imaging techniques, exploritory approach, and then there is still unknown. The difference between RCC and RCC with 5% sarcomitoid differentiation means that 1 in 20 cancer cells showed the feature.  And the features, the spindles, are defined based on the shape.

It is not as exact as we would like.  Tumor boards are probably a good thing.

My Tumor Board met today.

My Tumor Board met today. Lots of doctors, various types, all in agreement that my Stage 1 grade 4 tumor was completely removed via partial nephretomy. The fact that a small percentage was sarcomatoid led them to agree that had this tumor not been discoverd so early (by accident) things would have gone from bad to very, very bad in the not too distant future. 

I was relieved after my clear PET scan yesterday and feel terrific today. All that fear for nothing!

now, just to continue monitoring doen the road is all I can do, and will do.

Djinnie

Gamecocks said:

My Tumor Board met today.

My Tumor Board met today. Lots of doctors, various types, all in agreement that my Stage 1 grade 4 tumor was completely removed via partial nephretomy. The fact that a small percentage was sarcomatoid led them to agree that had this tumor not been discoverd so early (by accident) things would have gone from bad to very, very bad in the not too distant future. 

I was relieved after my clear PET scan yesterday and feel terrific today. All that fear for nothing!

now, just to continue monitoring doen the road is all I can do, and will do.

Tumour Board

That is fantastic news, Congratulations!!.. Here's to a clear future:-)

Djinnie