Abstract
Background: Colorectal cancer patients require care across different disciplines. Integration of multidisciplinary care is critical to accomplish excellent oncologic results. We hypothesized that the establishment of a dedicated colorectal cancer center (CRCC) around specialty-trained surgeons will lead to increased multidisciplinary management and improved outcomes in colorectal cancer patients. Methods: We analyzed data from three periods: a baseline group, a period after the recruitment of specialty-trained surgeons, and a period after the creation of a dedicated multidisciplinary cancer center. Data analyzed included surrogate markers of surgical oncologic care, multidisciplinary integration, and oncologic outcomes. Results: Recruitment of specialized surgeons led to improvements in surgical oncologic care; the establishment of the CRCC resulted in further improvements in surgical oncologic care and multidisciplinary integration. Conclusion: Our study suggests that although the recruitment of specialty-trained surgeons in a high volume center leads to improvement in surgical oncologic care, it is the establishment of a multidisciplinary center around the surgeons that leads to integrated care and improvements in oncologic outcomes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 15-22 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Surgical Research |
Volume | 171 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1 2011 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- colorectal cancer
- colorectal cancer center
- outcomes
- prognostic
- specialty-trained surgeons
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery