UNASSIGNED: 6102 Background: In June 2002 the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center (HFGCC) at Christiana Care Health Services (CCHS) opened its doors to establish the multi-disciplinary team approach for @entity5 care. This program was deemed necessary in view of the fact that the State of Delaware has the fourth highest @entity5 incidence and mortality rates in the United States. METHODS: Disease site Multi-disciplinary Centers (MDC's) were established in Genitourinary, Head and Neck, @entity11612 , Neuro-Oncology, @entity1514 /Esophageal, Colorectal, and Breast. A surgeon, medical and radiation oncologist was assigned to each of the MDC's. Physicians needed to meet certain performance expectations in order to participate in the MDC's. Support services consisting of psychology, nutrition, genetic counseling, social service, oncology nurse care manager, and a clinical trials research nurse were assigned to each of the MDC's. CCHS is an NCI funded Clinical Community Oncology Program. RESULTS: In the first 7 months, June through December 2002, there were 921 @entity1 visits in the MDC's at the HFGCC. In the second 7 months, January through July 2003, @entity1 visits increased to 1,563. From 6/1/02 through 11/18/03 there were 309 @entity1 placed on NCI Cooperative Group trials at CCHS . Of the 390 @entity1 , there were 42 @entity1 ( 13%) that were placed on NCI clinical trials as per their visit to the MDC's. This was 7% of the 580 @entity1 seen in the MDC's from 6/1/03 through 11/18/03. The percentage of analytic cases ( first treatment or diagnosis at CCHS) accrued to clinical trials in 2001 and 2002 were 10.0% and 13.2% respectively. @entity1 saved on average 3 weeks of physician appointment time by visiting the HFGCC where they were seen by the surgeon, medical and radiation oncologist in one visit. CONCLUSIONS: The disease site multi-disciplinary team approach to @entity5 care decreased the time to @entity1 care planning and treatment and has continued to be an additional mechanism for @entity1 accrual to NCI clinical trials. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

A multidisciplinary team approach to XXXX care in a community based teaching hospital.

@entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['cancer'] @entity11612 :: ('MESH:C566516', 'Disease') :: ['Hepatobiliary -Pancreatic, Lymphoma'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients', 'patient'] @entity1514 :: ('MESH:D013896', 'Disease') :: ['Thoracic']
@entity5 :: (MESH:D009369,Disease) :: ['cancer']
