Cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) review

What is a cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) review?

A multidisciplinary team (MDT) review is a meeting where a group of cancer specialists discusses your case together. The team usually includes surgeons, cancer doctors (oncologists), a radiologist who interprets your scans, a histopathologist who examines your tissue, and a specialist cancer nurse, with others as needed.

Using their combined expertise, and national guidelines, they review your scans, biopsy report and medical details and agree on the treatment plan they recommend for you. You do not normally attend the meeting itself. The plan is then discussed with you by your own consultant or specialist nurse, and the final decision is made with you.

MDT working is widely regarded as the best way to plan cancer care, because it brings several expert views together and reduces the chance of something being missed. It is a routine, standard part of NHS cancer care — being discussed at an MDT does not mean anything has gone wrong.

Types, options & approaches

There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.

Options at a glance

These are the main approaches described in this guide. The right option depends on the diagnosis, your goals and what your clinician thinks is safe.

Preparing for your appointment

• You do not usually attend the meeting, so there is nothing to prepare for the MDT itself.
• Make sure your team has all relevant scans, results and history, including any done elsewhere.
• Write down the questions you want answered when the plan is explained to you afterwards.
• Tell your team what matters to you, as your wishes and circumstances are part of the discussion.
• Ask when the meeting is and when you will hear the outcome.
• Ask who your point of contact is, often a clinical nurse specialist.

What happens

Your case is presented at a regular team meeting. The radiologist shows and explains your scans, the histopathologist explains what your tissue showed, and the surgeons and oncologists discuss the options, alongside a specialist cancer nurse and others as needed.

Using their combined expertise and national guidelines, and taking your circumstances into account, the team agrees on the treatment plan it recommends. This recommendation is recorded.

You are not usually at the meeting. Afterwards, your own consultant or specialist nurse explains the recommendation to you, answers your questions, and the final decision is made with you. You can ask about anything you do not understand, and you can ask for a second opinion.

Is this appointment right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

An MDT review is a safeguard, not a cause for alarm. The main downsides are the wait and the fact that you are not in the meeting, so good communication afterwards matters. Ask when the meeting is, who will explain the outcome, what the recommendation is and why, and how to ask questions or request a second opinion.

Published figures to discuss

An MDT review is a team discussion, not a test, so there are no procedure rates to quote. How clear-cut a recommendation is depends on the cancer and the information available, and recommendations are sometimes revisited as more is learned.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

What happens afterwards

There is nothing to recover from — you do not usually attend. 'Afterwards' is about hearing the team's recommendation, understanding it, and deciding the next steps with your own consultant or specialist nurse.

• Feeling anxious while you wait for the outcome
• Hearing the recommendation only after the meeting, not during it
• Being told further tests are needed before the plan is final
• Having your case brought back to a later meeting as treatment progresses

Aftercare

• Ask for the recommendation and the reasons behind it to be explained in plain words.
• Ask what the options are and what would happen if you chose differently or waited.
• Note who your point of contact is and how to reach them with questions.
• Ask whether any further tests or a specialist review are part of the plan.
• Take time to consider the plan, and bring someone with you to the discussion if you can.
• Ask how to request a second opinion if you would like one.

• When the meeting is and when you will hear the outcome
• Who will explain the recommendation to you
• Your written questions for that conversation
• The name and number of your point of contact
• Whether further tests or a review are planned
• How to request a second opinion if you want one

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• New or worsening symptoms while you wait for the outcome — contact your team rather than waiting
• Feeling unable to cope with the wait or with difficult news — ask your team or clinical nurse specialist for support
• Not hearing the outcome within the time your team gave you — chase it up
• Being asked to agree to treatment you do not understand — ask for it to be explained before you decide
• Feeling pressured to decide before you are ready — you can ask for time and a second opinion

Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A good outcome is a clear, recommended plan that you understand, that takes your circumstances into account, and that is explained to you with time for questions. Because it is a team recommendation based on national guidelines, it carries the weight of several expert views rather than one.

The recommendation depends on the information the team had. If results are incomplete, a case may be deferred or revisited, and plans can change as treatment progresses or new information arrives. The MDT recommends; the decision is then made with you, and you can ask questions or seek a second opinion.

An MDT recommendation reflects your situation at the time of the meeting. Cases are commonly brought back to later meetings as treatment progresses, results change or a cancer behaves differently, so the plan can be updated. The discussion and recommendation form part of your record.

Related tests, treatments or support

An MDT review pulls together your scans, biopsy report, any molecular or genetic testing, and your overall health into one discussion. It is often the point where a specialist pathology review or further tests are requested before a plan is finalised, and it links directly to the consultation where your results and plan are explained to you.

Follow-up & long-term care

After the meeting, your consultant or specialist nurse explains the recommendation, usually within a few days, and the decision is made with you. They arrange the next steps — treatment, further tests, monitoring or referral — and give you a point of contact. Your case may return to a later MDT as things change, and you can ask for a second opinion at any stage.

Repeat, follow-on and what comes next

• Recommendations are commonly revisited at later meetings as treatment progresses.
• A plan may change after further tests or a specialist pathology review.
• Cases are sometimes deferred when information is incomplete.
• You can ask for a second opinion on the recommendation at any stage.

Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.

What good aftercare looks like

• A clear explanation of the recommendation and the reasons, with time for questions.
• A named contact or clinical nurse specialist for ongoing questions.
• A clear plan for next steps, with who is responsible and when.
• A straightforward route to a second opinion if you want one.
• A commitment to revisit the plan at a later MDT as your situation changes.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• MDT discussion is normally part of cancer care rather than a separate charge.
• The scans, biopsy and pathology that the team reviews.
• Any further tests, stains or molecular testing requested at the meeting.
• The consultation afterwards to explain the recommendation and plan treatment.
• Whether care is on an NHS pathway or arranged privately.

• Confirmation that your case will be discussed at an appropriate MDT.
• Whether MDT discussion is included rather than charged separately.
• The consultant fee for the consultation that explains the recommendation.
• The cost of any further tests requested by the team.
• Who your point of contact is and how to reach them.
• How MDT review is provided on the equivalent NHS pathway.

On the NHS? MDT review is a standard, routine part of NHS cancer care; private care should also involve appropriate MDT discussion, and you can ask your team how this happens.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a specialist safely

• Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
• You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.

• What did the MDT recommend, and what are the reasons?
• What are my options, and what would happen if I waited or chose differently?
• Was all my information, including tests done elsewhere, available to the team?
• Are any further tests or a specialist review part of the plan?
• Who is my point of contact, and how do I reach them?
• How would I go about getting a second opinion if I wanted one?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the specialist who carries out my appointment, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this appointment not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

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How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: Macmillan Cancer Support — Multidisciplinary team (MDT) Cancer Research UK — Multidisciplinary teams in cancer services Royal College of Pathologists — Histopathology NHS England — Cancer services NICE — Patient experience in adult NHS services (NG197)

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.