title: The need for multidisciplinarity in specialist training to optimize future patient care.
abstract: Harmonious interactions between radiation, medical, interventional and surgical oncologists, as well as other members of multidisciplinary teams, are essential for the optimization of patient care in oncology. This multidisciplinary approach is particularly important in the current landscape, in which standard-of-care approaches to cancer treatment are evolving towards highly targeted treatments, precise image guidance and personalized cancer therapy. Herein, we highlight the importance of multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity at all levels of clinical oncology training. Potential deficits in the current career development pathways and suggested strategies to broaden clinical training and research are presented, with specific emphasis on the merits of trainee involvement in functional multidisciplinary teams. Finally, the importance of training in multidisciplinary research is discussed, with the expectation that this awareness will yield the most fertile ground for future discoveries. Our key message is for cancer professionals to fulfil their duty in ensuring that trainees appreciate the importance of multidisciplinary research and practice.
authors.affiliation: Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute of Cancer Research, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT, UK.
authors.forename: Alison C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Tree
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer, ICTEM Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Surgery, Room 29, 4th Floor, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK.
authors.forename: Aneel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhangu
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, National Cancer Institute and NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA.
authors.forename: Venkatesh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krishnasamy
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Surgery, Room 29, 4th Floor, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK.
authors.forename: Dion
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.affiliation: Imperial College/Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust, Charing Cross Hospital, 1st Floor, E Wing, Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8RF, UK; and at the Division of Cancer, ICTEM Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road London W12 0NN, UK.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stebbing
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, National Cancer Institute and NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA.
authors.forename: Bradford J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK.
authors.forename: Ricky A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D010348:Patient Care Team; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D000071077:Surgical Oncology / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards