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Most healthcare institutions take a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care, meaning that the management of each patient is the responsibility of a team of doctors from various branches of medicine, all of whom work together closely to achieve the best possible results. At every stage of a patient’s progress, meetings usu-ally take place that draw on the expertise of oncologists (cancer specialists), pathologists (specialists in disease processes), radiation oncologists (specialists in treating cancer with radiation), and radiologists, as well as numerous other physicians, including those who specialise in the particular body regions affected. Individual team members are involved to varying degrees in the different steps of cancer care, but communication is still vital. For the radiologist, this means compiling clear, detailed and accurate reports on examination findings for the team, as well as providing recommendations and coordination of follow-up (covered in chapter five of this booklet). Although patients may not necessarily hear directly from radiologists, their involvement in meetings, and particularly through frequent contact with the referring clinician, is an important factor in cancer management. When it comes to informing the patient of the actual diagnosis, this is done by the oncologist or referring physician in the majority of cases, although occasionally the radiologist will be involved. This varies from country to country, but in general the radiologist will only be consulted when the patient has a particular question. “At a local level good communication with all members of the multidisciplinary team managing a patient is key to quality care. It is now routine in many countries for the initial diagnosis, imaging staging and potential management strategies for cancer patients to be discussed in a multidisciplinary team meeting. This ensures that there is good communication between all parties.” “In China, patients receive their “Depending on local clinical practice, the radiologist medical imaging reports from the either talks to the patient directly, or to the referring department of radiology, and they physician. In Germany, for example, most private will see their physicians/surgeons radiology centres offer direct patient interviews and with the reports.
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