The one-sentence answer
A molecular tumour board (MTB) is a scheduled meeting where a panel of specialists — oncologists, pathologists, geneticists, radiologists, often a pharmacist and trial coordinator — reviews one patient’s case together and matches the tumour’s molecular profile to therapies and clinical trials.
Why it exists
A single oncologist, however good, cannot hold in mind every drug-mutation match and every open trial. Cancer care increasingly hinges on findings like FGFR2 fusion, HER2 amplification or KMT2D loss — exactly the kind of evidence our published research identified as decisive. An MTB pools the people who each know one piece.
What an MTB typically does with a case
- Reviews the pathology and confirms the diagnosis is molecularly consistent.
- Walks through the genomic report finding by finding: which are drivers, which are noise.
- Matches each driver to therapy options and their evidence level — approved here, approved elsewhere, trial-stage.
- Flags eligible clinical trials and access routes (compassionate use, named-patient import).
- Issues a written recommendation to your treating team.
How to get your case in front of one
- Ask directly: “Can my case be presented at a molecular tumour board?” Large cancer centres and teaching hospitals run them routinely; smaller hospitals can often refer into one.
- Have genomic testing done first — an MTB without a molecular report has little to discuss. If you haven’t been tested, ask about NGS testing in the same conversation.
- Records-based review travels well: many boards accept outside cases on documents alone, no visit needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is it expensive? The board review itself is often free or modest at public/teaching centres; the genomic test is usually the main cost.
What if there’s no MTB near me? This is part of why OmniSynx exists — our computational analysis performs the same systematic fault-to-therapy mapping on your records and gives you a document your oncologist can act on or take to any board.