Who Really Decides Your Cancer Treatment Plan? Inside the Tumour Board at Renova

What Is a Tumour Board in Oncology?

• Biopsy results and pathology findings
• Imaging scans and radiology reports
• Blood work and lab values
• The patient's age, overall health, and personal preferences
• The latest clinical evidence and treatment guidelines

• World Health Organization (WHO)
• American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
• European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
• National Cancer Grid, India

How Many Doctors Are Involved in Treating Cancer?

• Surgical Oncologist - Evaluates whether surgery is appropriate, feasible, and likely to achieve clear margins. Determines the safest approach based on tumour location and the patient's fitness.
• Medical Oncologist - Leads decisions around chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy. Often, the patient's primary point of contact is throughout treatment.
• Radiation Oncologist - Assesses whether radiation is needed, at what dose, and in what sequence relative to surgery or chemotherapy.
• Pathologist - Confirms the diagnosis at a cellular level. Determines tumour type, grade, and the molecular profile that guides targeted treatment decisions.
• Radiologist - Interprets CT scans, MRI, PET scans, and ultrasounds. Provides critical information about tumour size, location, and spread.
• Onco-Nurse Navigator - Coordinates the patient's journey, ensures nothing falls through the cracks, and serves as the patient's advocate throughout treatment.

What Actually Happens During a Tumour Board Meeting?

• The presenting doctor walks the team through the patient's full clinical picture.
• The radiologist pulls up the actual scans on screen, not just a written report, and reviews them with the group.
• The pathologist presents the biopsy findings live.
• The team discusses, debates, and stress-tests every option.

• The surgical oncologist flags concerns about margins near a critical structure.
• The radiation oncologist asks whether preoperative radiation could shrink the tumour first.
• The medical oncologist considers whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy achieves the same result with less surgical risk.
• The pathologist identifies a molecular marker that makes the tumour sensitive to a specific targeted drug.

How Does a Multidisciplinary Team Actually Help Cancer Patients?

• Staging becomes more accurate. A radiologist, pathologist, and clinician reviewing together reduces the risk of understaging or overstaging. Treatment intensity is precisely matched to the actual disease burden.
• Treatment sequencing improves. Operate first or chemotherapy first? The tumour board resolves this with evidence, not guesswork.
• Overtreatment and undertreatment are both avoided. Without MDT review, some patients get more than they need. Others get less. The board calibrates both ends.
• Patients are treated as whole people. Age, comorbidities, functional status, and personal preferences all factor in. A theoretically optimal plan that a patient cannot sustain is not a good plan.

Is a Tumour Board Available at Cancer Hospitals in Hyderabad?

• Cases are reviewed, and a treatment plan is finalised within days of diagnosis.
• Urgent cases are fast-tracked. The board responds to clinical urgency, not administrative timelines.
• Patients from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh access the same standard of care as India's top cancer centres, without leaving the city.
• Every plan is documented, communicated clearly, and coordinated across all treating specialists from day one.

What Should You Ask Your Cancer Care Team?

• Will my case be reviewed by a multidisciplinary tumour board before treatment begins?
• Which specialists will be part of my care team?
• How quickly will the board review happen after diagnosis?
• Will molecular or genetic testing be part of the workup?
• Who is my main point of contact, and how will the plan be communicated to me?