David C. Metz, MBBCh, professor of medicine, co-director, GI Physiology laboratory, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses using a multidisciplinary approach to treating neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).

As NETs have a tremendous spread of potential involvement across disciplines, there is significant potential to having multidisciplinary input.

Metz says the field is growing and important, however, he stresses that not every person that has a NET needs to go to a center of excellence that has a multidisciplinary approach because it is not practical. It is important to have availability across the country in various locations where there are going to be experts that get together and discuss specific patients, Metz says.

In the future, physicians may be moving towards a situation where a virtual tumor board may be available to discuss specific cases of patients in very isolated areas, Metz says.  As NETs are not particularly common, physicians are still learning.

David C. Metz, MBBCh

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Dr. Metz Discusses Using a Multidisciplinary Approach When Treating NETs