Dr. Hales on the Role of Multidisciplinary Care in Locally Advanced Lung Cancer

Russell Kenneth Hales, MD, director, Thoracic Oncology Multidisciplinary Program, assistant professor of radiation oncology and molecular radiation sciences, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, discusses the role of multidisciplinary care in locally advanced lung cancer.

Locally advanced lung cancer is managed by medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, and other health care professionals from pulmonary medicine, Hales says. Therefore, it is perhaps one of the most nuanced disease states to treat, Hales explains.

As such, facilitating good communication between the disciplines is critical, particularly as new data emerge underscoring the importance of multidisciplinary care for optimal patient outcomes, Hales says. Ultimately, weighing insights from several specialties appears to be the optimal way to serve this patient population, Hales concludes.