Lung cancer is a common cause of morbidity and mortality. The investigation and management of patients with lung cancer have become more complex and therefore requires a multidisciplinary teamwork approach. The lung cancer multidisciplinary team usually includes the respiratory specialists, radiologists, histopathologists, thoracic surgeons, clinical and medical oncologists, pulmonary physiologists, clinical psychologists, palliative care specialists and the cancer nurse specialists. The work of the lung cancer multidisciplinary teams can be subdivided into three aspects: the initial investigational pathway, treatment pathway and finally palliative care support. The multidisciplinary approach allows for the rapid diagnostic pathways for staging and histological diagnosis. The management of lung cancer has significantly improved in the recent years therefore a multidisciplinary team collaboration between thoracic surgeons and oncologists has become more important. As many patients with lung cancer present in advanced stages of the disease, palliative care team approach would frequently be required to be adapted. The development of new investigational and therapeutic options makes the multidisciplinary team approach the most appropriate model to meet the challenges of the complexity of the current management of patients with lung cancer.
Keywords: Lung Cancer; Radiotherapy; Bronchoscopy
