Why Consider A Multidisciplinary Cancer Care Center?
- For glioma treatment, receiving care at a multidisciplinary center means patients have the opportunity to work with multiple specialists all in one place.
- “What that means is that it’s one shot for the patient,” Dr. Iyad Alnahhas, a neuro-oncologist at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, tells SurvivorNet. “They come into the clinic, they see multiple providers from different specialties.”
- For glioma, a care team may include a neurosurgeon, radiation oncologist, neuro-oncologist, clinical neurologist, rehabilitation specialists, and more.
- The most important thing is that you’ve got the right people and that they know the latest science, which can happen at a major cancer center, or at smaller, more remote treatment centers.
- To get the best guidance, you will need to sift through the options in your area and consider if you need to travel to a larger medical center.
“At Thomas Jefferson University, we have what we call a multidisciplinary clinic. What that means is that it’s one shot for the patient,” Dr. Iyad Alnahhas, a neuro-oncologist at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, tells SurvivorNet. “They come into the clinic, they see multiple providers from different specialties.”
The Benefits Of Comprehensive Cancer Centers
Read MoreThat can happen at a major cancer center, or at smaller, more remote treatment centers. In order to get the best guidance, you will need to sift through the options in your area and consider if you need to travel to a larger medical center.
The Multidisciplinary Team
To get the top-notch care for your glioma, it’s essential to have a medical team that collaborates. This means doctors and experts from different areas team up to figure out the best ways to make your life longer and better.
This includes collaborating and keeping in regular contact so everyone is up-to-date on your condition, and they can continue providing the best care possible.
“It’s always good and helpful of course to have multiple set of eyes, multiple specialists looking at this lesion from different angles,” Dr. Alnahhas explains.
With glioma, your medical team may consist of:
- A neurosurgeon: This is often the first specialist patients meet after imaging raises concern for a glioma. In low-grade gliomas, surgery may be used to obtain a tissue diagnosis, remove as much tumor as safely possible, and relieve pressure or symptoms, such as seizures. “The first interaction that the patients have typically in the hospital is with the surgeons where they review the scans with them and talk to them about potentially doing surgery resecting or biopsying of the lesions inside the brain,” Dr. Alnahhas explains.
- A radiation oncologist: While surgery is often the primary treatment option for patients, radiation can play an important role as well. When and how radiation is given will depend on glioma type and grade, patient age, overall health status, and ability to remove the tumor (with surgery). Radiation therapy can be used after surgery, in combination with chemotherapy, or as a primary therapy when surgery is not feasible.
- A neuro-oncologist: These doctors specialize in using systemic agents like chemotherapy or immunotherapy to treat cancer. They’re trained to diagnose it, figure out how aggressive it is, and treat it using things like chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and other medications.
- A clinical neurologist: Seizures are one of the most common symptoms of grade 2 gliomas and often the reason the tumor is discovered in the first place. Good seizure control can dramatically improve quality of life, work ability, and emotional well-being.
- Rehabilitation specialists: Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists may become involved at different points in care. Their goal is to help patients recover after surgery, adapt to subtle changes in function, and maintain independence and confidence. Rehabilitation isn’t only for severe deficits — even mild changes can benefit from early support.
Other professionals like nutritionists and dieticians, social workers and/or mental health professionals, and genetic counselors may also be involved in your care at different points throughout the treatment journey.
A Promising New Drug: Vorasidenib
Vorasidenib (brand name Voranigo) is a targeted approach, and may help patients avoid the harsh side effects associated with chemotherapy and radiation. It is a medication specifically designed for patients whose gliomas have mutations in the IDH1 or IDH2 genes. Instead of using broad methods to kill cancer cells (as chemotherapy or radiation might), vorasidenib zeroes in on the mutated enzymes driving the tumor’s growth.
“Think of it as newer generation, not really chemotherapy, but it’s based on our further understanding of the molecular changes that happen inside the tumor cells and how we can target those very specifically,” Dr. Alnahhas explains. “So, we’re really targeting and trying to kill the tumor cells and not the normal brain cells.”
This targeted approach can potentially:
- Slow tumor progression
- Delay the need for more invasive treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy
- Offer a more convenient form of therapy compared to intravenous infusions (because it’s an oral drug)
SurvivorNet has put together a guide to help you understand this new drug.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- Is there a benefit to me seeking care at a multidisciplinary center?
- Which doctors and specialists should be involved in my care plan?
- Who should I contact for day to day issues, like new symptoms or side effects?
- Is there support available if I need to travel a long distance for care?
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