Multidisciplinary Clinics for Colorectal Cancer Care Reduces Treatment Time.

Introduction: Management of locally advanced and metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) requires the expertise of multiple specialists. Multidisciplinary clinics (MDCs) are a working model designed to facilitate delivery of coordinated care. The present study evaluated the effects of MDC on the time to treatment (TTT).

Patients And Methods: Patients with CRC or locally advanced anal cancer who were evaluated at a single-institution MDC from January 2014 to October 2015 were identified from an institutional registry. The clinical characteristics and timelines for various aspects of treatment were retrospectively reviewed and recorded. A control population of patients not evaluated at the MDC was matched 1:2 by disease and the number of treating specialties. The primary endpoints were the TTT from diagnosis and the TTT from the first consultation.

Results: A total of 105 patients were included: 35 were evaluated at the MDC and 70 were controls. The MDC patients experienced a 7.8-day shorter TTT from the first consultation (21.5 vs. 29.3 days; P = .01). The difference was greater for patients visiting 3 departments (21.3 vs. 30.6 days; P < .001). Patients requiring neoadjuvant chemoradiation accounted for most of the decreased interval compared with those requiring surgery alone as their first treatment. The proportion of patients initiating treatment within 3 weeks from the first consultation was greater for those seen in the MDC (57.1% vs. 30% for controls; P = .01).

Conclusion: Implementation of a multidisciplinary CRC clinic yielded decreased intervals from the first consultation to treatment in our institution. Focusing efforts to increase MDC usage will improve treatment efficiency and improve patient access.