Introduction and History of Multidisciplinary Care

It is widely accepted that a multidisciplinary approach is necessary to ensure the optimal care of patients with cancer, a complex disease that frequently requires a combination of treatments (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy) to offer patients a chance at long-term survival. However, little has been written on how such multidisciplinary care should best be organized and/or delivered to patients suffering from sarcoma, a rare family of bone and soft tissue cancers. The purpose of this book is to explore the rationale and specific methods for providing multidisciplinary care for these challenging patients. As with most complex issues, there is no single solution that will fit into every community or organization dealing with this disease. Therefore, we have invited a variety of authors from sarcoma centers and practices in the United States and from around the world, emphasizing best practices that can be translated into local and regional groups seeking to improve access and care delivery for these patients.