Multi-disciplinary Care for Brain Metastases

Intensive Multi-Disciplinary Care Initiative for Patients With Newly Diagnosed Brain Metastases

This is a health services intervention study aimed at understanding the impact of intensive multi-disciplinary care compared with standard care on patient-reported symptom outcomes and prognostic awareness in patients with brain metastases.

This is a cohort study of patient with newly diagnosed brain metastases assigned to standard of care (SOC) or intensive multi-disciplinary care (IMDC). Care for all patients with brain metastases involves complex medical decision making and requires input for multiple stakeholders, including medical oncology, neurosurgery, radiation oncology, and neuro-oncology. Palliative care should be an essential component of the care team for all patients with brain metastases by the very nature of this advanced malignancy. At the University of Vermont, our current process for diagnosis and management of patients with brain metastases relies heavily on the physician and team who make the initial diagnosis to consult others as they see appropriate. This process may look different for different patients. We rationalize that a systematic approach with intensive multidisciplinary care (IMDC) will benefit patients with brain metastases by providing consistent access to multi-disciplinary discussion.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients of all genders must be at least 18 years of age.
• Patients must have histologically confirmed, newly diagnosed brain metastases from known or suspected solid tumor primary neoplasms.
• Patients must be able to accurately provide self-report data (e.g. per clinical judgment, cognitive function is intact).
• Patients must be able to complete questionnaires in English.
• Patients must have the ability to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are < 18 years of age are not eligible.
• Patients who are Pregnant are not eligible.