Cancer —
Training activity: 8

Details

Prepare a case for presentation at an MDT/GTAB for either acquired or germline cancer.

Type

Developmental training activity (DTA)

Evidence requirements

Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee​.

Reflection on the activity at one or more time points after the event including learning from the activity and/or areas of the trainees practice for development.

An action plan to implement learning and/or to address skills or knowledge gaps identified.

Reflective practice guidance

The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.

Before action

What are the intended outcomes of the training activity?

• Do you have a clear plan for how you will apply your integrative knowledge of laboratory techniques to synthesize data (e.g., molecular, cytogenetic, or pathology or haematology results) into a cohesive summary for the MDT or GTAB?
• What specific communication strategies do you intend to use to ensure that the results of your investigations are presented clearly and accurately to your multidisciplinary healthcare colleagues?
• What foundational knowledge regarding the clinical referral criteria, the specific purpose of the MDT/GTAB, and the local reporting standards do you need to acquire before you begin assisting in the preparation of these cases?

What do you anticipate you will learn from the experience?

• What specific insights do you hope to gain regarding how genomic data directly influences clinical decision-making or therapeutic pathways within the multidisciplinary team environment?
• Thinking about what you already know, which aspects of case synthesis—such as navigating discordant data or highlighting the most clinically relevant variants—do you find most challenging or interesting to explore further?

What actions will you take in preparation for the experience?

• How will you gain clarity on the required format and the expectations for your case preparation?
• What challenges do you anticipate (e.g., managing tight deadlines for case submission, identifying missing information, or presenting complex findings succinctly), and how have you planned to handle them?
• How do you feel about embarking on this activity, considering the significant responsibility of preparing information that will directly impact patient management and treatment plans?

In action

What are you doing?

• How are you currently approaching the synthesis of laboratory data (e.g., molecular, cytogenetic, and pathology results) to create a cohesive summary, and what real-time decisions are you making about which findings are most clinically relevant to highlight?
• Which aspects of preparing the MDT/GTAB presentation feel intuitive, and where are you finding you need to put in more conscious effort to ensure the information is clear for healthcare colleagues?

How are you progressing with the activity?

• How effective are your actions in integrating knowledge across different techniques to build a comprehensive picture of the case as you prepare the materials?
• What challenges are you encountering in the moment—such as managing discordant data or identifying missing clinical information—and how are you connecting this task to your existing skills in genomic analysis?

How are you adapting to the situation?

• Do you need support or guidance from your training officer or MDT lead to resolve ambiguities in the case before the meeting?
• How are you adapting your communication and presentation style to ensure the results will be accessible to a multidisciplinary audience while remaining strictly within your professional scope of practice?

On action

What did you notice?

• Summarise the key points of the MDT or GTAB cases you helped prepare, specifically noting the type of referral (somatic or germline) and the core clinical questions being addressed.
• What were the essential findings (e.g., molecular, cytogenetic, or pathology results) that you identified as necessary to include in the case summary to ensure a comprehensive investigation?

What did you learn from the activity?

• How has this experience improved your ability to apply integrative knowledge across different laboratory techniques to build a cohesive narrative for clinical colleagues?
• What did you learn about your own communication skills when tasked with presenting these results clearly and accurately to a multidisciplinary audience?
• Were there any unexpected challenges or successes during the preparation process—such as managing complex data or tight deadlines—and how did your reflection-in-action (decisions made in the moment) influence the outcome?

What will you take from the experience moving forward?

• How can you apply the skills learned during this preparation to your routine practice to ensure genomic results are always presented in a way that supports post-programme clinical requirements?
• What specific next steps or actions will you take to further support the assimilation of what you have learned about case synthesis and professional communication?
• What support or resources (e.g., feedback from MDT leads or updated clinical guidelines) have you identified as necessary to continue developing your expertise in presenting complex genomic investigations?

Beyond action

Have you revisited the experiences?

• How has your perspective on synthesising complex genomic data for MDT/GTAB evolved as you have prepared more cases across different cancer types?
• Have discussions with colleagues changed how you view the impact of your case summaries on final clinical decisions?
• Compare this experience with your Observed Training Activities—what specific presentation and communication behaviours have you now assimilated into your routine preparation for multidisciplinary meetings?

How have these experiences impacted upon your current practice?

• How has the integrative knowledge gained from preparing these cases informed your problem-solving when interpreting individual laboratory results in your daily work?
• In what ways are you now applying the communication and summary skills developed during this activity to other tasks, such as drafting formal clinical reports or answering queries from clinicians?
• How is the learning from these MDT/GTAB preparations helping you prepare for upcoming Case-based Discussions (CBDs) or Observed Communication Events (OCEs) for this module?

How might these experiences contribute towards your future practice?

• What transferable skills—such as the ability to translate technical laboratory data into clinically actionable information—will be most valuable as you progress toward becoming a Clinical Scientist?
• How will the principles of multidisciplinary collaboration learned here help you adapt to future advancements in genomic medicine and changing clinical pathways?
• What clear actions have you identified to continue developing your expertise in case synthesis and professional presentation to support high-quality patient care in the future?

Relevant learning outcomes

#	Outcome
# 4	Outcome Apply integrative knowledge of laboratory techniques applied to the investigation of cases referred for cancer.
# 5	Outcome Demonstrate appropriate communication skills to present the results of investigations into acquired and germline cancer cases clearly to healthcare professional colleagues.