Last Wednesday, I posted about the importance of knowing the ins and outs of your disease. Today, I’m expanding a little bit on something I said:

“Your care should be treated as a team, not a one person show.”

According to Merriam-Webster, team is defined as “a number of persons associated together in work or activity, a group on one side.”

Why is having a multidisciplinary medical team so important?

The most important aspect of treating a NET patient is a care plan that it is tailored to suit the individual. Neuroendocrine cancer care can be complex and for the patient the journey can encompass not only a whole host of emotions, but also a wide range of tests, treatments and health care professionals. Since there are often multiple treatment options available throughout the course of the disease, collaboration is essential among all key health care personnel who are making clinical decisions for individual patients.

In order to deliver the highest quality care to individuals with neuroendocrine tumors, a NET cancer patient should be referred to a center where there is a multidisciplinary team. Ideally, this collaborative group would be led by an expert in the field of NET cancers and include physicians from a wide range of specialties. Though patients may not always see an expert with a multidisciplinary team, it is important to have a NET specialist partnering with other physicians the patient is seeing to ensure the best treatment.

Patients feel more confident in the knowledge that all aspects of their care have been discussed and the best possible treatment plan has been formulated. A well-coordinated and disciplined team are a very critical aspect for care when striving to achieve the best quality of life and the most positive outcomes for NET cancer patients.

In the case of a doctor being unwilling to work with a patient’s NET specialist and the rest of their care team, it is crucial to fire this physician and find one who is willing to work as part of the team.

*Please remember that doctors work ***FOR*** YOU and you do not have to stay with any physician who is not giving you the care that you need or deserve! If they aren’t listening to you or other physicians in your care team, please move on. Sometimes we are lucky enough to like a doctor even though they are not providing the best or right care. Liking a doctor is not a reason to stay with them.*

I hope everyone is having a great week! Until next time…

Tricia Wahmann-Knatz