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Your cancer team

Your care will be provided by a group of experts called a multidisciplinary team (MDT). This is a group of doctors, nurses and other health professionals specialising in treating your cancer.

They discuss and manage your care and plan the treatment that’s best for you. They will keep you involved in treatment choices and decisions about your care.

Your team may include a:

  • consultant surgeon – doctors who specialise in performing the type of surgery that may be needed
  • specialist consultant (depending on cancer type) – for example, a consultant haematologist specialises in blood diseases
  • consultant physician – organises the relevant tests and procedures to make a diagnosis
  • oncologist – a consultant oncologist specialises in treating cancer with chemotherapy (anti-cancer drugs), radiotherapy (radiation therapy that destroys cancer cells) and hormone therapy. They advise on further testing, monitoring or management.
  • consultant radiologist – reviews and reports on scans and x-rays to confirm diagnosis and can advise on further testing, monitoring or management
  • consultant histopathologist – specialises in working out the type of cancer you may have from the tissue samples (biopsies) taken
  • clinical nurse specialist (CNS) – an experienced nurse who gives expert advice related to your specific condition or treatment. They will take a key role in supporting your care and will be the central point of contact between yourself and your treating MDT.
  • research nurse – supports patients taking part in clinical trials. If appropriate, you may be referred to a research nurse for information about taking part in a clinical trial.
  • MDT coordinator – they work with the MDT and other organisations to make sure they have all the information needed to review your case. They also help to organise your appointments and may call you to invite you for a scan or another type of test or investigation.

Depending on your individual needs and symptoms, you may be referred to other cancer specialists who are not core members of the MDT, such as:

Our MDTs also work closely with local community services including your GP (home doctor), the nurses at your GP practice, social workers and other support teams to make sure your care continues smoothly throughout your treatment.