What type of cases are presented at cancer conferences during the initial diagnosis before treatment?

The correct response pertains to prospective cases, which involve patients who are being discussed at cancer conferences during the initial phase of their diagnosis and before any treatment has begun. In such settings, healthcare professionals review and analyze the details of current patients who have just received a cancer diagnosis. Discussions focused on prospective cases allow multidisciplinary teams to evaluate treatment options, establish care protocols, and make informed decisions based on the most current and relevant clinical information.

Retrospective cases, in contrast, involve patients whose data has already been collected and treatment outcomes analyzed after the fact. These cases are typically used for research purposes or quality assurance rather than immediate clinical decision-making. Population-based incidence cases typically refer to data compiled from larger public health initiatives and are concerned with trends and statistics over a defined group or region, rather than individual patient cases under current discussion. Follow-up cases involve patients already in the process of treatment and monitoring outcomes, not those at the initial diagnosis stage. Thus, the focus during these conferences is on prospective cases, which directly supports physicians in formulating appropriate immediate treatment plans and improving patient care from the outset.