Multidisciplinary approach of prostate cancer patients

Abstract

The multidisciplinary management of cancer patients is recognized as the best way to manage and organize cancer care. The collaboration of trained and qualified health professionals guarantees the delivery of the multimodal treatment necessary for several malignancies, quality and continuity of care, the individualization of paths, and the taking care of patients’ broad array of needs (i.e., physical, functional, psychological, financial). Indeed the focus is on delivering care as well as monitoring and managing pain and symptoms, improving patient care experience and quality of life, reducing the use and costs of medical services, helping family caregivers manage the complexity of care, and facilitating the shift from treatment to palliative and end-of-life care. This implies the involvement of multiple physicians like experts in supportive and palliative care in the early stage of the disease. Prostate cancer is among the oncologic diseases that most benefits from the multidisciplinary management. As a matter of fact, according to the state of the disease, several actors have a role in the care of prostate cancer patients: urologic surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, experts in nuclear medicine, pathologists, imaging specialists, psychologists, social workers as well as nurses with special training in urologic diseases, experts in rehabilitation, experts in supportive and palliative care, geriatricians, and urologists with special training in sexual rehabilitation. The coordination of these figures and multidisciplinary activities are key elements for successfully managing prostate cancer patients during the whole disease trajectory.