Medical Consultation

Second opinion consultations and medical committees are somewhat similar to a medical council as they can provide the patient with an alternative perspective on their diagnosis. However, none of these approaches offer a comprehensive and well-developed treatment strategy. In addition, the medical council has a crucial advantage over a single doctor’s consultation – it allows for a real-time collegial decision for each specific case based on the course of the disease and the specifics of the diagnosis.

The involvement of specialists from various fields ensures a multidisciplinary approach, allowing several major tasks to be addressed simultaneously:

• make the most accurate diagnosis taking all nuances into account;
• ensure prompt determination of the most effective and safe treatment plan;
• provide fast and effective communication between doctors and diagnostic specialists;
• reduce the risk of complications arising from the patient’s comorbidities;
• select appropriate supportive therapy;
• minimize the risk of medical errors.

Oncology is characterized by the complexity and variability of treatment schemes, so a medical consortium is appropriate at different stages:

• at the initial stage, when the patient is advised to undergo preoperative chemotherapy;
• when courses of drug therapy and follow-up examinations have been completed and the surgical stage of treatment needs to be discussed;
• during treatment, when adjustment of the treatment protocol is required based on indications;
• during follow-up care in case of tumor progression.

Registration for a medical consultation is carried out solely at the initiative of the attending physician and represents the final stage before treatment begins. Requesting a consultation is not a reflection of the physician’s incompetence – it is standard practice in oncology due to the complexity and variability of malignant tumor treatment protocols.

Patient route from the first consultation to the medical board:

• initial consultation with an oncologist;
• a range of laboratory and instrumental tests;
• analysis of the obtained data by the attending physician;
• medical board meeting.

Medical Concilium is depending on the complexity of the case.

If you are not the citizen of the Russian Federation to arrange a distant consultation, please send an inquiry to the following address: international@nmicr.ru.

A consent form and questionnaires will be sent to you by return mail.

• Fill out the patient questionnaire.
• Sign the informed consent form and send us at the specified address.

After filling out the questionnaire and the informed consent, a connection link for remote consultation will be sent to you.

The medical Concilium at the National Medical Research Radiological Centre is usually conducted in person in accordance with all legislative acts and strictly upon the request of the attending physician. All medical decisions are documented as a conclusion, which is provided to the patient within the established timeframe. In particularly complex cases, the Centre’s specialists may participate in the council via telemedicine consultation. This format is used to discuss particularly complex cases of disease progression, for example, those requiring the prescription of drugs with restricted use or the selection of off-label therapy.