Implementation of Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review of Current Practice and Gaps

Cancer outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remain disproportionately poor, driven by late-stage presentation, health workforce shortages, limited access to diagnostic and treatment infrastructure, and high levels of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure. Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), particularly multidisciplinary tumour boards (MTBs), are widely regarded as the gold standard for cancer management in high-income settings, where they have been associated with improved staging accuracy, greater adherence to clinical guidelines, enhanced care coordination, and improved survival. However, while the adoption of MDTs in SSA has increased over the past decade, their structure, implementation processes, and contextual adaptations within resource-constrained health systems remain insufficiently characterised. This scoping review aims to systematically map and synthesise the existing evidence on the implementation, operationalisation, and reported impact of MDTs and MTBs in Sub-Saharan Africa. The central research question guiding this review is: How are multidisciplinary teams structured, conducted, and integrated into cancer care systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, and what influence do they have on care processes and patient outcomes? Specifically, the review will examine: MDT composition, leadership, and participation patterns; Meeting frequency, format (including virtual or hybrid models), and case selection processes; Use of evidence-based treatment guidelines and decision-making frameworks; Availability of technological, diagnostic, and treatment infrastructure supporting MDT function; Organisational and policy-level support mechanisms; Reported clinical, process, and system-level outcomes associated with MDT participation; Barriers, facilitators, and contextual adaptations relevant to low-resource settings. By mapping the breadth and nature of available literature, this review will identify prevailing models of MDT implementation across SSA, highlight variations in practice, and uncover gaps in reporting and evidence. The expected outcomes include: (1) a comprehensive characterisation of current MDT practice in SSA; (2) identification of structural and systemic barriers limiting optimal implementation; (3) clarification of reported benefits and limitations of MDTs in the region; and (4) recommendations to inform future research, policy development, and health system strengthening efforts aimed at improving multidisciplinary cancer care delivery. Ultimately, this work seeks to contribute to a more contextually grounded understanding of multidisciplinary cancer care in SSA and to support evidence-informed strategies that improve equity, quality, and outcomes in oncology services across the region.