Predictors of multidisciplinary tumor board implementation in head and neck cancer: Global insights.
Publication/Presentation Date
5-21-2026
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify institutional and organizational determinants associated with the adoption of multidisciplinary tumor boards (MDTBs) in head and neck cancer management across diverse healthcare settings.
METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis used data from 566 responses, corresponding to 457 unique centers across 101 countries participating in the IFOS-YO-IFOS global survey. Centers were categorized by income level, region, and case volume. Logistic regression identified predictors of systematic MDTB use.
RESULTS: Among responding centers, MDTBs were systematic in 89.1% of North America, 88.9% of European and 87.5% of Oceanian centers, compared with 37.5% in Africa and 32.6% in MENA. High annual case volume (> 200 cases/year) (OR = 3.4, p < 0.001), university affiliation (OR = 2.7, p = 0.002), and access to intensity-modulated radiotherapy (OR = 2.1, p = 0.01) independently predicted full MDTB integration. Centers citing economic barriers showed a 65% reduction in odds of MDTB implementation.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that multidisciplinary management in head and neck oncology is strongly influenced by institutional resources and organizational models rather than geography alone. Strengthening MDTB frameworks in low- and middle-income regions could substantially narrow global care inequities.
ISSN
1434-4726
Published In/Presented At
Maniaci, A., Lechien, J. R., Chiesa-Estomba, C., Maso, V., Kabagenyi, F., Gengler, I., Fagan, J. J., Hao, S. P., Kowalski, L. P., Lyons, B., Razif, M. Y. M., Marzouki, H. Z., Parisi, F. M., White, M., Michel, J., & Fakhry, N. (2026). Predictors of multidisciplinary tumor board implementation in head and neck cancer: Global insights. European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 10.1007/s00405-026-10244-6. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-026-10244-6
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
42165882
Department(s)
Department of Surgery
Document Type
Article