Table 2.

Excellence requirements for LC-MDTs core team members

Area	Excellence requirement
Pulmonology	Pulmonologists must be able to interpret imaging studies and have experience in diagnostic and palliative bronchoscopic techniques [1]
	Those pulmonologists administering medical therapy must meet the requirements of medical oncologists [1]
Radiology/nuclear medicine	Radiologists must be familiar with:  management of pulmonary nodules;  strength and limitations of bronchoscopic interventions;  image guided biopsies and radiological treatment options;  treatment responses to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, and their adverse events;  and surgical procedures [1]
	Radiologists must have knowledge about:  patterns of lymphatic and hematogenous spread of LC;  TNM staging system;  and when to refer to nuclear medicine for PET/CT [1]
	Nuclear medicine physicians must have expertise in PET/CT [1]
	Nuclear medicine departments must be able to perform verification protocols and to react accordingly [1]
Pathology/molecular biology	Pathologists must count on diagnosis of the cases that are to be presented at each MDT meeting
	Pathologists must know the material received for the cases to be presented at each MDT meeting, to guide MDT future steps in matters of new diagnostic tests or request of new sample, in case of scarce material
	Pathologists must be familiar with pathological TNM for the diagnosis of cases undergoing surgery and be aware of the latest developments in terms of diagnosis after neoadjuvant treatment
	Molecular biologists/ pathologists must know which patients should undergo molecular characterization, which genes should be tested with priority, and whether a rebiopsy is needed [13, 44–46]
Thoracic surgery	Thoracic surgeons must know the surgical indications for LC, as well as the different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches [1]
	Thoracic surgeons must be able to identify and, when possible, to resolve potential complications of the procedure performed, during both the surgery or the postoperative period [1]
Medical oncology	Medical oncologists must individualize the treatment to be the least toxic, the safest and the most cost-effective, based on the overall characteristics of the patient [24]
	Medical oncologists play a fundamental role in helping to select the appropriate diagnostic techniques for optimal characterization of tumors, to choose the best treatment based on the patients’ specific anticancer targets [26]
	Medical oncologists must be responsible for updating and training the rest of the committee in the availability of new drugs and their indications, as well as for facilitating early access to clinical trials that may represent an opportunity for patients [25]
Radiation oncology	Radiation oncologists must know the indications for radiotherapy (whether curative or palliative); the most appropriate techniques to perform it; and the criteria for the selection of patients subsidiary of radiotherapy, alone or associated with other therapies [1]
	Radiation oncologists must be aware of the benefits associated with radiotherapy treatment (survival, local control), possible adverse effects and impact on quality of life [1]
Palliative care	Palliative care must provide relief from pain, stress and other symptoms to improve the quality of life for the patient and their families [47]
	The palliative care team must be introduced early in the treatment of disease to improve quality of life and even overall survival [47]

LC Lung cancer, LC-MDT Lung cancer multidisciplinary team, PET/CT Positron emission tomography-computed tomography, TNM Tumor-node-metastasis staging