Possibilities within a collaborative network on gyneco-oncology - a model from Lund, Southern Sweden

Background

Sweden is a nation of approximately 9 million inhabitants, most hospitals are public, and there is an ongoing process of centralization of cancer treatment with tumour centers. Today there is about 6 major and some minor university hospitals trea- ting the vast majority of cancer patients. involved in gynaecologic tumours treatment are gynecologists, gynaecologic surgeons, and gyneco-oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and radiotherapists.

Multidisciplinary regional work

in the Southern Sweden Health Care Region there are several meeting forms enabling an exchange of knowledge and experience. Each week there is an allocated reception, including a surgeon and an oncologist, with possibility to examine patients before decision of surgical treatment. MDT (Multi Disciplinary Tumour) conference is held each week, where patients can be discussed before further treatment, including surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and pathologists. Regional meetings is held twice a year where all doctors working with gynecologic tumour patients are invited. This personal contact is important to facilitate continuous communication concer- ning patients or logistic issues.

Reference pathologist

As reference pathologists in this organisation there are several areas of responsibility/liability.

Local:

The main task is to see to that the surgical specimens are diagnosed correctly, and promptly if possible, the aim is within two weeks. Since new techniques and research projects are continuously introduced there are always logistic problems to solve.

Regional and national:

The main task is to keep up the communication between and education of the fellow pathologists in Sweden and to standardize and improve diagnostic activities based on scientific results.