The Impact of Tumor Boards on Breast Cancer Care: Evidence from a Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis
Di Pilla, Andrea
Cozzolino, Maria Rosaria
Mannocci, Alice
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Carini, Elettra
Spina, Federica
Castrini, Francesco
Grieco, Albino
Messina, Rosaria
Damiani, Gianfranco
Specchia, Maria Lucia
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Specchia, ML (通讯作者),Fdn Policlin Univ Gemelli IRCCS, Clin Governance Dept, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, I-00168 Rome, Italy.;Specchia, ML (通讯作者),Univ Cattolica Sacro Cuore, Dept Life Sci & Publ Hlth, Largo Francesco Vito 1, I-00168 Rome, Italy.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, with a complex clinical path that involves several professionals and that requires a multidisciplinary approach. However, the effectiveness of breast cancer multidisciplinary care and the processes that contribute to its effectiveness have not yet been firmly determined. This study aims to evaluate the impact of multidisciplinary tumor boards on breast cancer care outcomes. A systematic literature review was carried out through Scopus, Web of Science and Pubmed databases. The search was restricted to articles assessing the impact of MTB implementation on breast cancer care. Fourteen studies were included in the review. The most analyzed outcomes were diagnosis, therapy and survival. Four out of four studies showed that, with implementation of an MTB, there was a change in diagnosis, and all reported changes in the treatment plan after MTB implementation. A pooled analysis of three studies reporting results on the outcome mortality showed a statistically significant 14% reduction in mortality relative risk for patients enrolled versus not enrolled in an MTB. This study shows that MTB implementation is a valuable approach to deliver appropriate and effective care to patients affected by breast cancer and to improve their outcomes.