Citation

Tan, Myles Joshua Toledo and Lichlyter, Daniel Andrew and Maravilla, Nicholle Mae Amor Tan and Schrock, Weston John and Ting, Frederic Ivan Leong and Choa-Go, Joanna Marie and Francisco, Kishi Kobe and Byers, Mickael Cavanaugh and Abdul Karim, Hezerul and AlDahoul, Nouar (2025) The data scientist as a mainstay of the tumor board: global implications and opportunities for the global south. Frontiers in Digital Health, 7. ISSN 2673-253X

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Abstract

1.1 Importance of tumor boards in cancer treatment Tumor boards are multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals that are working together to encompass the full spectrum of care around diagnosing, planning treatment, and advising outcomes for individual cancer patients. These boards typically consist of oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, geneticists, surgeons, nurse practitioners, and other palliative care professionals (1). These boards create a collaborative space for experts from various disciplines to assess clinical factors and patient circumstances, ensuring the application of appropriate care standards and personalized recommendations from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines to enhance cancer treatment are met. Since no patient fits the “textbook” cancer profile, oncologists benefit from discussing tailored treatment plans and learning from their colleagues' experiences. When tumor boards are functioning well, they can have a significant impact on patient care (2). For instance, a thoracic oncology board in Munich, Germany, found that 90% of their recommendations met or exceeded clinical standards, with nearly 90% being implemented in practice (3). Tumor boards are increasingly used worldwide, but expertise and resources for conducting multidisciplinary tumor boards are still limited in the Global South. However, this does not mean they cannot be implemented in developing countries. A 2020 survey from Southeast Asia found that 80.4% of pediatric solid tumor units had pediatric-trained specialists, including oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and nurses. This indicates that multidisciplinary tumor boards are already in place and that these specialists play a critical role in cancer care (4). With full implementation in the global south, data scientists can further enhance tumor boards with AI and data analytics to improve decision-making and personalize cancer care.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	cancer care, data science, global south, low- and middle-income countries, medical artificial intelligence, personalized medicine, tumor board, transdisciplinarity
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0254 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology (including Cancer)
Divisions:	Faculty of Engineering (FOE)
Depositing User:	Ms Suzilawati Abu Samah
Date Deposited:	12 Mar 2025 01:34
Last Modified:	12 Mar 2025 01:34
URII:	http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/id/eprint/13620

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