title: A rationale for multidisciplinary care in treating neuroendocrine tumours.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Disease heterogeneity and multisystem complications represent challenges to the diagnosis and management of neuroendocrine tumours (NET), with the disease often remaining undiagnosed for years after initial presentation. The purpose of this review is to assess the limitations of traditional care models and review the potential benefits of the multidisciplinary team approach in cancer treatment and to explore the potential usefulness of the multidisciplinary team approach for patients with NET.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This article outlines important considerations for the multidisciplinary management of NET, offers a model for team structure and function and identifies skill sets of members that may augment patient care. We believe a multidisciplinary team should include three to four clinicians with extensive NET experience. A coordinating physician plays a crucial role by facilitating team cohesiveness and maintaining constant patient contact throughout the course of treatment. Our model emphasizes collaboration between members of the core team and can be extended to include interactions with community healthcare professionals and others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A multidisciplinary approach offers the best prospect for improving clinical outcomes and understanding the natural history of NET.
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. David.Metz@uphs.upenn.edu
authors: David C
authors: DC
authors: Metz
authors: Junsung
authors: J
authors: Choi
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Strosberg
authors: Anthony P
authors: AP
authors: Heaney
authors: Colin W
authors: CW
authors: Howden
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Klimstra
authors: James C
authors: JC
authors: Yao
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome