Multidisciplinary cancer team collaborating on a complex case

Mastering Multidisciplinary Team Meetings: A Guide to Effective Leadership in Cancer Care

Reese Marlowe in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Learn how to optimize cancer tumor boards with practical leadership strategies, improving team dynamics and patient outcomes."

Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs), also known as cancer conferences, are integral to modern cancer care. These meetings bring together various specialists to discuss patient cases, ensuring comprehensive and coordinated treatment plans. With the increasing complexity of cancer treatments, MTBs have become crucial for making informed decisions and improving patient outcomes.

However, the effectiveness of an MTB hinges significantly on the quality of its leadership. A skilled leader can facilitate productive discussions, encourage collaboration, and ensure that all team members contribute their expertise. Conversely, poor leadership can lead to inefficiencies, miscommunications, and suboptimal patient care.

Despite the importance of effective leadership in MTBs, there has been a lack of standardized methods for assessing and improving these skills. Recognizing this gap, a team of researchers developed the 'A Tumor Leadership Assessment inStru-ment' (ATLAS), a tool designed to evaluate and enhance leadership qualities in MTB settings. This article will delve into the development, validation, and practical applications of the ATLAS instrument, offering insights for healthcare professionals seeking to optimize their MTB performance.

Why Leadership Matters in Multidisciplinary Cancer Teams

Multidisciplinary cancer team collaborating on a complex case

Effective leadership in multidisciplinary cancer teams (MTBs) is essential for several reasons. MTBs involve diverse specialists, each with unique perspectives and expertise. A strong leader can integrate these viewpoints, fostering a collaborative environment where the best treatment decisions are made.

Moreover, MTBs often face time constraints and complex case discussions. A skilled leader ensures the meeting stays focused, manages time efficiently, and facilitates clear communication. This prevents discussions from derailing and ensures all patients receive thorough consideration.

Improved Decision-Making: Strong leadership fosters informed and well-rounded treatment plans.
Efficient Meetings: Effective leaders keep discussions focused and manage time effectively.
Enhanced Collaboration: Good leadership encourages all team members to contribute their expertise.
Better Patient Outcomes: Ultimately, effective MTBs lead to improved patient care and survival rates.

Ultimately, effective leadership in MTBs translates to better patient outcomes. By fostering collaboration, managing time efficiently, and ensuring thorough discussions, strong leaders contribute to improved treatment decisions and, consequently, enhanced patient care.

The Future of MTB Leadership: Implementing ATLAS and Beyond

The development and validation of the ATLAS instrument represent a significant step forward in understanding and improving leadership within multidisciplinary cancer teams. By providing a reliable and practical tool for assessing leadership skills, ATLAS empowers healthcare professionals to enhance their MTB performance and, ultimately, improve patient outcomes. As the complexity of cancer care continues to evolve, the importance of effective MTB leadership will only grow. Embracing tools like ATLAS and prioritizing leadership development will be essential for ensuring that cancer patients receive the best possible care.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1007/s00345-018-2255-1, Alternate LINK

Title: Quality Of Leadership In Multidisciplinary Cancer Tumor Boards: Development And Evaluation Of A Leadership Assessment Instrument (Atlas)

Subject: Urology

Journal: World Journal of Urology

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Rozh Jalil, Tayana Soukup, Waseem Akhter, Nick Sevdalis, James S. A. Green

Published: 2018-03-03

Everything You Need To Know

What are Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs) and why are they important?

Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs), also known as cancer conferences, are meetings where various specialists convene to discuss patient cases. The goal is to create comprehensive, coordinated treatment plans. The increasing complexity of cancer treatments makes these boards essential for making informed decisions and improving patient outcomes. MTBs bring together diverse specialists to consider all aspects of the patient's condition and the available treatment options. This collaborative approach ensures that the most effective and appropriate care is delivered, ultimately improving patient survival rates.

Why is leadership crucial in Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs)?

Effective leadership in Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs) is essential. A strong leader integrates the diverse perspectives of various specialists, fostering a collaborative environment for the best treatment decisions. This includes efficient time management, clear communication, and focused discussions. A skilled leader will ensure that the meetings stay on track, prevent discussion derailment, and ensure that all patients receive thorough consideration. Poor leadership in MTBs can lead to inefficiencies, miscommunications, and suboptimal patient care. By contrast, good leadership leads to better decision-making, efficient meetings, enhanced collaboration, and ultimately, better patient outcomes.

What is the 'A Tumor Leadership Assessment inStru-ment' (ATLAS)?

The 'A Tumor Leadership Assessment inStru-ment' (ATLAS) is a tool created to assess and improve leadership skills in Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTB) settings. It fills a gap in the standardized methods available for evaluating leadership. The ATLAS instrument is designed to help healthcare professionals enhance their MTB performance and, as a result, improve patient outcomes. It provides a reliable and practical method for evaluating leadership qualities within MTBs, guiding improvements and ensuring better care for patients facing cancer.

What is the future of leadership in Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs)?

The importance of effective leadership in Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs) will continue to grow as cancer care becomes more complex. Tools like the 'A Tumor Leadership Assessment inStru-ment' (ATLAS) are vital. Prioritizing leadership development is crucial for ensuring that cancer patients receive the best possible care. Implementing ATLAS and similar tools allows healthcare professionals to refine their leadership skills continually, and the ability to adapt to new advancements in cancer treatment becomes more critical than ever. This approach ensures that MTBs remain at the forefront of providing optimal care.

What are the key benefits of effective leadership in Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs)?

The main benefits of effective leadership within Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs) include improved decision-making, efficient meetings, enhanced collaboration, and ultimately, better patient outcomes. Effective leaders facilitate well-rounded treatment plans. They manage time effectively and ensure that discussions are focused. Furthermore, they encourage all team members to contribute their expertise. Ultimately, these factors lead to enhanced patient care and higher survival rates. The positive impact of strong leadership extends beyond the meeting room, directly influencing the quality of care and the well-being of the patients.