Lung Cancer Sector Multi Disciplinary Team Meetings v8
Lung Cancer: Sector Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings
Patient Information
Lung Cancer Services
- Author ID: VS
- Leaflet ref: Bronc 003
- Version: 8
- Leaflet Title: Lung Cancer Sector Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings
- Last Review: July 2022
- Expiry Date: July 2024
Introduction
The Sector Multidisciplinary Team or (SMDT as it is known) is made up of a group of health professionals who specialise in the care of patients with a diagnosis of lung cancer from Wigan, Bolton, Salford, Wythenshawe and Christie Hospitals.
The team consists of specialists who understand how cancer presents, what cancer cells look like under the microscope and how these cells behave. They know what treatments are available and which will be the best treatment option for you. All the team members play a part in supporting you and your carers during your investigations, treatments, and follow-up care.
To ensure that you are at the centre of any decision-making and that you are the one who benefits, the SMDT meets on a regular basis (weekly) to discuss patient’s diagnosis and treatment plans. When there are decisions to be made regarding choices of treatments, these will be explained to you and written information to help you decide will be available to you.
Obviously not all patients need to access all the professionals in the team. Listed below are the team members and a summary of their roles.
The Respiratory Physician
The Respiratory Physician is a consultant who specialises in the care of patients with all manner of respiratory diseases, of which lung cancer is one. He/she will take the lead on your investigations and lead the discussion on your care at the SMDT.
The Macmillan Lung Cancer Specialist Nurse
The Macmillan Lung Cancer Specialist Nurse and the other lung cancer specialist nurses are registered nurses with experience within the field of lung cancer and respiratory diseases and are employed to provide a service to patients who have a diagnosis of primary lung cancer. They work closely with the Respiratory Physicians and other members of the SMDT.
The Lung Cancer Specialist Nurses will support patients from diagnosis, through treatments. They are your point of contact to ensure timely referrals to other services, and to offer advice and support to you and your carers. They will be available to offer advice on symptom control e.g. pain or breathlessness.
The Macmillan Lung Cancer Specialist Nurses hold weekly nurse led clinics on the Cancer Care suite, Wigan and Leigh hospital sites for monitoring of patients undergoing treatments or on completion of treatments.
The Macmillan Lung Cancer Specialist Nurses refer patients to other disciplines as their needs require e.g. Social Workers, District Nurses, or Palliative Care Nurses (formerly known as Hospital or Community Macmillan Nurses).
The Radiologist
This is a doctor who is specially trained in the interpretation of x-rays and special scans which assist in making a diagnosis. The radiologist can also carry out some procedures, for example ultra-sound guided liver biopsy, CT scan guided lung biopsy and some treatments i.e. insertion of stents.
The Histopathologist
The Histopathologist is a doctor who is an expert in examining cancer cells under the microscope. They predict how the cells may behave and ascertain the type of cancer, which will assist in making treatment decisions.
The Oncologist
The Oncologist is a specialist who offers non-surgical treatment to patients with a diagnosis of lung cancer.
The Clinical Oncologist specialises in radiotherapy but may have some experience in chemotherapy.
The Medical Oncologist specialises in chemotherapy.
The Oncologists are based at either Wythenshawe hospital or the Christie hospital.
They hold outpatient clinics in Thomas Linacre Centre, Cancer Care Suite, Christie Hospital and Wythenshawe hospital.
The Thoracic Surgeon
The Thoracic Surgeon is a surgeon who specialises in surgical procedures on the lungs. They are based at Wythenshawe hospital. Patients from Wigan are seen in the clinics in Wythenshawe hospital in Manchester.
Any questions?
If you have any concerns regarding any aspect of your care, or if you have not understood the information which has been given to you, please do not hesitate to contact the Lung Cancer Specialist Nurses on 01942 822260 and 01942822847. If they are in clinic or on the wards seeing patients, there will be an answering machine available for you to leave a message, which will be answered as soon as possible.
Further information can be obtained from the following websites: