The Effect of Multidisciplinary Teams for Advancing Research in NETs

In a recent interview with CancerNetwork^®, Brett L. Ecker, MD, emphasized the critical role of multidisciplinary teams in improving patient outcomes.

Ecker, a surgical oncologist and assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, and Section of Gastrointestinal Oncology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, discussed how collaboration between surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and other specialists fosters a comprehensive approach to pancreatic cancer management.

By working together, these teams can develop personalized treatment plans that address the unique needs of each patient. This multidisciplinary approach allows for the integration of various treatment modalities—including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapies—to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Ecker also highlighted the importance of ongoing research in advancing the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors. He discussed the possibility of de-escalating treatment for certain patients with small tumors while bringing attention to potential adjuvant therapeutic strategies for those with high-risk features.

Transcript:

Similar to other malignancies that we treat—other hepatobiliary-based malignancies—we are often carefully coordinating between surgical oncology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology. That’s going to be important to make sure these patients have the best outcomes and have opportunities for understanding what the landscape of clinical trials is so [they can access] novel therapies. Thorough tumor boards and multidisciplinary work, we can get that for our patients.

Based on the most recent data, I [hope my colleagues] start to feel more comfortable with this treatment of de-escalation for small tumors. I also hope that I draw attention [to the fact] that people may not know of this current national trial, so that [my colleagues are] aware when they have a patient who has resection, [someone] whom they’re worried about recurrence who has some of these high-risk features, that they’re starting to think about, “Well, there are adjuvant strategies that we can explore here.”

Reference

Deek M, Ecker B. Neuroendocrine tumors: state-of-the-art care in 2024. Presented at the 2024 Annual Oncology Clinical Practice and Research Summit; November 15-16, 2024; New Brunswick, NJ.