A Multidisciplinary Cancer Center Maximizes Surgeons' Impact

Background. Colorectal cancer patients require care across different disciplines. Integration of multidisciplinary care is critical to accomplish excellent oncologic results. We hypothesized that the establishment of a dedicated colorectal cancer center (CRCC) around specialty-trained surgeons will lead to increased multidisciplinary management and improved outcomes in colorectal cancer patients. Methods. We analyzed data from three periods: a baseline group, a period after the recruitment of specialty-trained surgeons, and a period after the creation of a dedicated multidisciplinary cancer center. Data analyzed included surrogate markers of surgical oncologic care, multidisciplinary integration, and oncologic outcomes. Results. Recruitment of specialized surgeons led to improvements in surgical oncologic care; the establishment of the CRCC resulted in further improvements in surgical oncologic care and multidisciplinary integration. Conclusion. Our study suggests that although the recruitment of specialty-trained surgeons in a high volume center leads to improvement in surgical oncologic care, it is the establishment of a multidisciplinary center around the surgeons that leads to integrated care and improvements in oncologic outcomes. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.