Cancer Trials Ireland > Medical Community > Molecular Tumor Board

Molecular Tumor Board

Molecular Tumour Board

What is a MTB?

Molecular Tumour Boards (MTBs) are a specific type of multi-disciplinary tumour board meeting in which anonymized patient cases are discussed based on the patient’s clinical information and genetic sequencing reports. 

What is genetic sequencing and what role does it have to play in cancer care?

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a type of genetic test that is used to study the DNA sequences of cancer cells. A DNA profile of the tumour cells is created which describes mutations or variations found in the genes of cancer cells. This helps us to understand the pathology of the disease. NGS tests generate a lot of data about mutations and genetic variations found within the DNA of cancer cells. As a result of NGS testing the area of cancer genetics is growing rapidly and clinicians are faced with the challenge of keeping up to date with the interpretation and clinical significance of these test results. 

Listen to Dr Dearbhaile Collins discuss the expanding role of genomic medicine in this video from RCPI. 

  • Why are MTBs important?

NGS testing is becoming increasingly utilised in clinical practice in Ireland and MTBs are being used globally to provide a forum for doctors to discuss their patient’s cancer genomic findings. MTBs are a cross institutional, educational, virtual multi-disciplinary meeting to help oncologists and haematologists interpret and discuss NGS test results.

Experts ranging across molecular genetics, oncology, haematology and pathology and highly experienced in cancer genetic profiling, review patient NGS findings. During a MTB the implications of the findings and any potential targeted therapies that may be available for treatment are discussed. In this way the MTB acts as a clinical decision support system for doctors resulting in improved quality of care.

The discussion of a patient’s case at the MTB is a step important step in personalised patient care. It provides the treating doctor with a valuable resource to collaborate, self-educate and communicate with other healthcare providers in a multidisciplinary setting.

About the Irish MTB programme

The Irish MTB program was established as a pilot project by Roche in November 2020. Cancer Trials Ireland took over the operations of the MTB program in 2022 and has established the MTB as an extremely valuable clinical and educational resource for healthcare workers. By fostering collaboration on cancer treatment decisions among Irish clinicians with support of national and international experts from the medical and scientific community, the MTB is driving the transition towards precision oncology and personalised healthcare.

The MTB is now an independently run under the governance of Cancer Trials Ireland and supported through philanthropic funding from Sarah Jennifer Knott Foundation Charity.

To learn more, hear Dr Dearbhaile Collins describe the remit of the Irish Molecular Tumour Board in this video, or listen to our MTB podcast episode.

 

From November 2020 to June 2024, the educational MTB in Ireland has created the following footprint

41

MTBs conducted

98

Patient cases discussed

900

Cumulative participants

18

Participating institutions

3

Educational Webinars from leading experts

Our vision is to change the way cancer patients in Ireland are treated building on a Molecular Tumour Board

Focus on personalised & precision oncology

Direct patient benefits.

Educational remit of the MTB

Click here for educational webinars featuring leading experts.

EMTBN

Part of the European Molecular Tumour Board Network providing consensus on MTBs and adding to real-world data through European registry development.

Research

CUPan – development of a registry for rare cancers; equitable access to NGS testing

Dr Dearbhaile Collins

MTB Clinical Lead

Dearbhaile Collins is the clinical lead for the MTB programme. She is a medical oncologist working in Cork University Hospital with speciality interest in lung cancer and gynaecological malignancies. She has both a PhD in translational oncology and a MA in Medical Ethics and Law. She is Clinical Director of Cancer Services, Cork University Hospital and Co-Chair of the Cancer Trials Ireland Gynaecology DSSG.

“I am honoured to chair the MTB which will help support personalised cancer care in Ireland. It is a tremendously valuable initiative which will have direct patient benefits in addition to educational and research advantages”. 

Engage with the Irish MTB programme (for clinicians)

The MTB currently operates meetings for both solid tumour and haematology-oncology (adult and AYA) case reviews.

Solid tumour MTBs are held on the last Tuesday of every month from 4-5pm.

Haematology-Oncology MTBs are held on the third Wednesday every second month from 5-6pm.

All MTB meetings are accredited with CPD points awarded by the Royal College of Physicians Ireland in recognition of the high educational value of the meetings and the important role they have to play in precision oncology in Ireland

The treating clinician shares anonymised patient information in a structured format to the MTB operation team one week prior to the meeting. This information which includes key questions are submitted to the expert panel to allow proper preparation prior to the MTB session.

All healthcare professionals working in cancer care are welcome to join the educational MTB.

For further information about the MTB or to submit a case or to register for a meeting email: mtb@cancertrials.ie

Structure of a Patient Case Template to be submitted to:

mtb@cancertrials.ie
  • Treating Clinician Name
  • Patient History
  • Molecular Genomic Insights
  • Key Questions on the Patient Case

Meet the Team

Current MTB expert panel

Terri McVeigh, MB BAO BCh (Hons), PGCert. (Med. Gen.), PGDip. (Med. Sci.), MSc. (Clin. Ed.), PhD, MRCP, MRCS

Overview

  • Dr Terri McVeigh is a consultant clinical geneticist in the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, specializing in cancer genetics
  • Her interests include Cancer Predisposition in Children, Adolescents and Adults (syndromic and non-syndromic), and application of genomic testing to direct cancer treatment
  • Dr McVeigh also has a specialist interest in Clinical Education, and has developed educational material for patients and health care professionals 

Education (selected)

  • She was awarded a PhD from National University of Ireland, Galway for her work investigating the translational applications of genomic profiling in breast cancer 
  • She holds a Certificate in Medical Genetics, Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Science, and Masters in Clinical Education
  • Dr McVeigh undertook undergraduate medical training, core surgical training and Higher Specialist Training in Clinical Genetics in Ireland

Professional Experience (selected)

  • Consultant Clinical Geneticist , The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Cancer Genetics Unit United Kingdom (2018 to date) 
  • Tutor, MSc Genomic Medicine, Imperial College London (2016 to date)
  • Tutor, MSc Health Sciences, NUI Galway  (2012 to date) 
  • Visiting Scientist, QIMR Berghofer, Brisbane, Australia (2017)
  • Research Fellow, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA  (2013) 

Additional information

  • She is a member of the steering committee of the Cancer Genetics Group of the British Society of Genomic Medicine.
  • She is a core tutor of the Molecular Pathology of Cancer and Application in Cancer Diagnosis, Screening, and Treatment Module of the ICR-led MSc in Genomic Medicine (Imperial College London)

Awards

  • Her specialist training was funded by the Health Research Board/Health Service Executive National Academic SpR Fellowship, with clinical and research fellowships in the Royal Marsden, in Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA, and in QIMR Berghofer, Brisbane Australia.

Publications 

Rodrigo Dienstmann, M.D., PhD, MBA

Overview

  • Dr Rodrigo Dienstmann is Principal Investigator of the Oncology Data Science Group of the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Barcelona, Spain
  • He is also Medical Director of Oncoclínicas Precision Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
  • His research interests include: (i) integration of clinical and translational research with genomics for precision cancer therapy; (ii) clinical-molecular databases of matched targeted agents and standardized reports of next-generation sequencing tests; (iii) collaborative research in cancer genomics/computational oncology and its clinical implications

Education (selected)

  • Executive Master in Business Administration, Barcelona, Spain
  • Post-graduation in Data Science, Sage Bionetworks, Seattle, USA
  • Post-graduation in Molecular Pathology, Mass General Hospital, Boston, USA
  • Clinical Research in Oncology, Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2009
  • Board Certified in Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Brazil, 2005
  • Medical Doctor at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2001

Professional Experience (selected)

  • Principal Investigator, Oncology data Science Group, Vall d´Hebron Institute of Oncology, Spain
  • Leader, Molecular Prescreening Program for Precision Medicine, Vall d´Hebron Institute of Oncology, Spain
  • Research Assistant, Computational Oncology, Sage Bionetworks, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, USA

Additional information

  • Active member of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR)
  • Active member of “Horizon 2020”, the biggest EU Research and Innovation program

Awards

  • La Caixa International Program for Cancer Research & Education Grant, 2012
  • IMPAKT Susan G. Komen for the Cure Award, 2009
  • International Development Education Award, 2007

Publications 

Stephen Finn, MB BAO BCh, FDS, PhD, FRCPath, FFPATH

Overview

  • Dr. Stephen Finn MB BAO BCh FDS PhD FRCPath FFPATH, is an Associate Professor, Consultant Pathologist and Principal Investigator at The University of Dublin, Trinity College and at St. James’s Hospital Dublin
  • Dr. Stephen Finn is an academic Histopathologist with subspecialist interests in genitourinary pathology and cancer molecular diagnostics
  • His clinical practice is limited to Molecular, Urological, Gastrointestinal and Liver pathology

Education (selected)

  • Dr. Finn completed his higher professional training in Dublin in 2005
  • He qualified from University College, Cork (UCC) in 1998

Professional Experience (selected)

  • He is a former Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator and co-director of the Cancer Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory at St James’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of Dublin, Trinity College 
  • He worked as a consultant pathologist at the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick
  • He worked as Senior Scientist and Staff Pathologist to the Centre for Molecular Oncologic Pathology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA

Additional information

  • Dr. Finn is a member of the Irish Prostate Cancer Research Consortium (PCRC) and the Transdisciplinary Prostate Cancer Partnership ToPCaP
  • Dr. Finn continues to have strong personal and collaborative links to the Harvard School of Public Health, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the University of Orebro in Sweden.
  • Translational Chair of Lung group at Cancer Trials Ireland
  • Member of European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP)

Awards

  • Dr. Finn is a current recipient of the Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award

Publications 

Marie-Dominique Galibert, PharmD, PhD

Overview

  • Prof. Galibert is the Deputy Director of the Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes (IGDR) and the Head of the Gene Expression and Oncogenesis Research Team – Labellisée Fondation ARC since 2016
  • She is also the Head of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Genomics and the Co-Director of the FHU-CAMIn (Hospital University Federation – Cancer Microenvironment Innovation) at the Rennes University Hospital

Education (selected)

  • Post-Doctoral fellow – Prof. CR GODING Lab, UK – European Marie Curie Fellowship, (1996 – 1999)
  • PhD – Pasteur Institute Paris / University Pierre et Marie Curie, PARIS VI, France – MRT Fellowship, 1996
  • Pharmaceutical Doctor – University René Descartes, PARIS V, France, 1991

Professional Experience (selected)

  • Professor – Hospital Practitioner (PU-PH), Rennes University & Hospital, France, 2010
  • HDR – University of Rennes, France, 2007
  • Associate Professor – Hospital Practitioner (MCU-PH), Rennes University & Hospital, France, 2000

Additional information

  • Member of the Scientific Board of the LNCC (Ligue National Contre le Cancer), 2020
  • Member of the Scientific Board of the IUF (Institut Universitaire de France), 2018
  • Head of the Brittany Health Council (CCRRDT DIS5), 2017
  • Member of the Rennes University Board of Directors, 2016

Awards

  • Equipe de Recherche Labélisée Fondation ARC (2016 – 2019 & 2020 – 2022)
  • PAIR Melanoma program (2013 – 2016)
  • Aviessan research programs (2013-2016 & 2016-2019)
  • Organization of the 21th International meeting of the European Society of Pigment Cell Research (ESPCR): Rennes 24-27 September 2018: https://espcr2018.sciencesconf.org

Publications 

MTB operations

Claire Bermingham, BSc (Pharmacology), MSc Molecular Medicine

Overview

  • Claire Bermingham is the MTB associate and looks after the operational activity for the MTB. She has a background in oncology genetics with a previous career as a clinical scientist.

Some of the high-level publications on impact on MTBs

The Molecular Tumor Board Portal supports clinical decisions and automated reporting for precision oncology

Tamborero, David et al., Nature Cancer 3, 251-261 (2022)

The value of virtual molecular tumor boards for informed clinical decision-making

Angel, Martin et al., The Oncologist. May 2024

Quantifying the Value of the Molecular Tumor Board: Discordance Recommendation Rate and Drug Cost Avoidance

Walters, Mary K et al., JCO Precision Oncology 6, Oct 2022

Molecular tumour boards — current and future considerations for precision oncology

Tsimberidou, Apostolia M et al., Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology 20, 843-863 Oct 2023