KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to create a DSS for early guidance on standard cases, freeing time for complex cases to streamline cancer treatment decisions.
- The DSS effectively identified standard cases, offered accurate treatment recommendations, reduced tumor conference time, and facilitated complex case discussions.
Certified cancer centers must select the best melanoma treatment by requiring all patients to be presented in multidisciplinary tumor boards (MDTs).
David Hoier and the team conducted a study that aimed to create a decision support system (DSS) offering treatment recommendations for straightforward cases upon conference registration, classifying them as “standard cases.”
The study developed a smartphone query to mimic tumor conference registration, gathering the necessary information for recommendations. Of 705 malignant melanoma cases discussed at a skin cancer center between 2017 and 2020, 111 were identified as potential standard cases. The DSS then generated a digital twin recommendation for each of these cases.
In the study, a smartphone query was developed to mimic tumor conference registration, gathering the necessary information for recommendations. Of 705 malignant melanoma cases discussed at a skin cancer center between 2017 and 2020, 111 were identified as potential standard cases. The DSS then generated a digital twin recommendation for each of these cases.
In all 111 cases, the system offered dependable advice, with a 97% concordance between MDT and DSS for therapeutic recommendations, irrespective of tumor stage. Discrepancies (2%) involved two cases where DSS suggested MDT discussions and one case (1%) with a differing recommendation due to the patient’s advanced age.
The study concluded that the objective was not to supplant clinical expertise but to relieve MDT workload and prioritize complex cases. The DSS effectively identified standard cases and offered accurate treatment recommendations, diminishing tumor conference time constraints. The next step involves integrating the DSS into routine tumor board software to assess its qualitative impact on oncological care.
Open Access funding facilitated and coordinated by Projekt DEAL. The authors did not receive any specific funding for this study.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38457085/
Hoier, D., Groß-Ophoff-Müller, C., Franklin, C., et al. (2024) “Digital decision support for structural improvement of melanoma tumor boards: using standard cases to optimize workflow.” J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 150, 115 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-024-05627-3.
