Series Description: 

Tumor boards are conducted in small group formats including treating physicians, ancillary physicians (Radiology, Pathology, Nuclear Medicine), nursing, pharmacy and social work. We will have opportunities for physicians to present case studies with a Q&A session after, and patients will be asked to participate at least quarterly to ensure and promote shared decision making in the treatment planning process. Goals for this interdisciplinary oncology work group include: 1) Decrease the time from patient presentation and diagnosis to initiation of therapy. 2) Improve communication amongst the interdisciplinary team, leading to decreased care fragmentation, decreased errors and a decrease in duplicate tests. and clarified treatment plan. 3) Decrease treatment variability between physicians, ensuring application of evidence-based clinical practice. 4) Increase patient satisfaction through fewer visits and consistent communication. 5) Enable clinicians to focus on multiple aspects of a patients care (socio-economical, emotional, nutrition, etc.). 6) Apply NCCN guidelines to principles of cancer risk assessment, genetic counseling and testing in the patient population. 7) Ensure a comprehensive, holistic approach to patient care, considering patient wishes in regards to treatment options. 8) Foster the setting wherein complex treatment plans can be created and sustained. 9) Increase enrollment in research studies. 10) Improve the education and support of family members. 11) Create a unique experience for involved physicians by offering 10-15 min education on a relevant topic to management of malignancies. 13) Decrease the number of procedures needed to make a diagnosis. 14) Optimal patient and family outcomes based on shared decision-making and individualized approaches in the development of the plan of care.

Target Audience: 

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Nurse, Registered (RN)

Pharmacists (PharmD)

Physicians (MD or DO)

Physician Assistant (PA)

Social Workers

Other Healthcare Professionals

Learning Objectives: 

1) Discuss and implement a treatment plan that incorporates a holistic approach to care for patients with complex presentations of gynecological malignancies

2) Summarize and apply evidence-based guidelines for diagnostic studies, surgical, systemic, radio-therapeutic and integrative medicine approaches in the treatment of gynecological malignancies.

3) Advise and educate patients, their caregivers, and clinicians of the role of interdisciplinary assessment and care in the management of gynecological malignancies.

4) Educate and support patients, their caregivers, and clinicians in the use of shared decision-making related to treatment toxicities, their potential impact on quality of life, and expected clinical outcomes of various treatment approaches.

Assembly Bills 1195 & 241- Providing Culturally Appropriate Care which is Free of Implicit Biases:

Learners are strongly encouraged to engage in self-directed learning related to the impact of implicit biases in this clinical area via the references provided below:

1. Temkin SM, Rimel BJ, Bruegl AS, Gunderson CC, Beavis AL, Doll KM. A contemporary framework of health equity applied to gynecologic cancer care: A Society of Gynecologic Oncology evidenced-based review. Gynecol Oncol. 2018 Apr;149(1):70-77. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2017.11.013. PMID: 29605053. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29605053/
2. Nora, Anne BS; Haugsdal, Michael L. MD Upstream Gynecology: Identifying Social Determinants of Health in a Gynecologic Oncology Population [40H], Obstetrics & Gynecology: May 2020 - Volume 135 - Issue - p 91S. doi: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000664096.34962.74. https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/abstract/2020/05001/upstream_gynecology__identifying_social.319.aspx
3. Liang J, Wolsiefer K, Zestcott CA, Chase D, Stone J. Implicit bias toward cervical cancer: Provider and training differences. Gynecol Oncol. 2019 Apr;153(1):80-86. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.01.013. Epub 2019 Feb 8. PMID: 30739720. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30739720/