Dr. Fecteau on the Benefit of a Multidisciplinary Approach in Bladder and Prostate Cancers

Ryan Fecteau, MD, PhD, radiation oncologist, genitourinary cancers, Duke Cancer Institute, discusses the benefit of utilizing a multidisciplinary approach in bladder and prostate cancers.

A multidisciplinary approach can be utilized in the treatment of bladder cancer if patients receive chemoradiation following a transurethral resection of the bladder tumor, which requires the aid of a urologist or urologic surgeon to perform the procedure, Fecteau explains. Following surgery, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists must work in tandem to administer chemoradiation, which needs to be coordinated on a proper schedule, Fecteau says.

For patients with prostate cancer, these coordinated efforts remain the same. For patients who have already undergone surgery and experienced a recurrence, a medical oncologist can explore potential treatment hormone therapy, Fecteau continues. A radiation oncologist can also be consulted to explore the pros and cons of radiotherapy for a given patient, Fecteau says.

With the continued advent and emergence of novel treatment strategies and agents for patients with prostate or bladder cancer, patients will have more options presented to them throughout their treatment process. With the growing list of options that could be presented to patients, it is important to think less about trying to convince a patient to pursue one given therapy over another; rather, clinicians need to ensure that patients have all of the necessary information at hand to make the best decisions for themselves, Fecteau continues.

Treatment decisions should can be weighed to consider what option can provide the most benefit and give them best quality of life that aligns with their individual goals for treatment, Fecteau concludes.