title: A multidisciplinary bone metastases clinic at Toronto Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre - A review of the experience from 1999 to 2005.
abstract: Our objective in this study was to review the experience of a one-stop multidisciplinary bone metastases clinic (BMC) that offers a coordinated multidisciplinary approach to the care of cancer patients with bone metastases in a tertiary cancer centre. Patients with symptomatic bone metastases were referred to BMC and assessed by a team of specialists in various disciplines - interventional radiology, orthopedic surgery, palliative medicine, and radiation oncology. At initial consultation, patient demographics, reasons for referral, and case disposition were recorded. From January 1999 to February 2005, a total of 272 patients with bone metastases were referred to the BMC. The median age was 65 years (range 28-95) and median KPS score at consultation was 60 (range 30-90). The majority of patients came from home (74%), while others came from a nursing home or the hospital (9%). Almost a third (28%) of patients had 2 or more reasons of referral, yielding a total of 354 reasons. The most common reason for referral was bone pain (42%), bone metastases (21%), high risk for pathological fracture (12%), and pathological fracture (10%). Of the 272 patients who received consultation, 40% received palliative radiotherapy, 19% received interventional surgery, 7% were referred to other support services such as palliative care, physiotherapy, and 7% had further investigation or imaging. A multidisciplinary clinic is useful for co-coordinating the management of bone metastatic disease in symptomatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Bone Metastases Site Group, Toronto- Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Kathy K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pope
authors.forename: Macey
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farhadian
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Napolskikh
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Librach
authors.forename: Lesia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wynnychuk
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Danjoux
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: On Behalf Of The
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Bone
authors.forename: Metastases
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Team