An MDT is made up of a range of healthcare professionals who will deliver care and provide support before, during and after your cancer treatment. They have many different areas of expertise and work together to diagnose and develop personalised treatment plans and recommend the most appropriate treatment for you.
Different roles within an MDT
MDT lead
Has the responsibility of leading meetings and discussing any issues that may affect treatment.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
Acts as the patient voice and supports patients to make informed decisions.
Clinician
Oversees a patient's treatment and will present the patient case, including individual needs and medical history, at the MDT.
Oncologist
Will review each case and assess which type of treatment a patient would benefit from.
Radiologist
Will present and interpret imaging such as MRIs, CT’s and PET scans.
Histopathologist
Examines biopsies and surgical specimens to give a definitive diagnosis of cancer and identify its type.
MDT coordinator
Ensures test results are available and, where appropriate, sends information to other treatment centres to help coordinate care.
Cancer patients should receive communications from their CNS, and in some cases a cancer support worker (CSW).
What will my CNS do?
You may meet your CNS at your first appointment or after you have been diagnosed. Your CNS will ensure you and the people close to you have access to information and advice about your diagnosis and treatment. They will:
- help you to make sense of unfamiliar information and support your decision-making about your care, treatment and follow-up arrangements.
- offer you and those close to you practical and emotional support throughout your illness.
- offer you access to clinical advice, and discuss any concerns you may have about treatments, investigations, surgery, recovery and life after treatment.
- advocate on your behalf at the MDT meeting where your investigations are discussed and recommendations on treatments are made.
- put you in touch with different services, both within our hospitals and the community, to support your care needs.
- guide you through complex systems, help you get access to benefits, finances, grants, free prescriptions and support you with family issues.
What will my CSW do?
Alongside your CNS, you may also be supported by a CSW. They will work closely with your CNS and the wider cancer team to support you after you have been given a cancer diagnosis, during treatment, and while living with or beyond cancer.
Their support will be more practical, such as signposting you to other helpful services, making enquiries on your behalf, and making your experience through treatment and beyond as smooth as possible. Some examples of support they can help with include:
- where to get help with financial concerns
- advice on transport options
- links to community services and voluntary organisations
- emotional wellbeing
- providing an Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) to help you identify any thoughts or concerns you have, both medical and non-medical
See also
Other websites
Last reviewed: 29 September 2025