Lucy Wortham James lecture. Multidisciplinary clinical investigation of the cancers of children. A model for the management of adults with cancer.

Clinical research on cancers of children during the last two decades has led to spectacular improvements in treatment and cure rates. The demands of multi-institutional clinical trials required development of teams of specialists at each participating institution. Multidisciplinary teamwork in diagnosing, staging, and treating children with cancer has become the only acceptable mode in this country. These concepts now should be applied to the management of adults with cancer. The complete staging of cancer now involves many new disciplines. Accurate staging, including biologic as well as clinical staging, is becoming increasingly important in determining the most appropriate treatment plan. Although surgical removal provides the greatest opportunity for cure of patients with malignant tumors, the majority of patients having primary surgery cannot be cured by surgery alone. Multiple disciplines should be involved in the assessment of each patient, in developing and in carrying out the most appropriate plan of patient management, in order to achieve the best results.