Cancer Patients, Lost in a Maze of Uneven Care
Source: New York Times.Com
The New York Times has an article on the uneven nature of care given to cancer patients across the country. The article details the struggles of Karen Pasqualetto to find the best treatment for the cancer she was diagnosed with at 35. Mrs. Pasqualetto had just given birth to a daughter when her cancer was discovered. The diagnosis was colon cancer, metastatic to the liver. The advanced nature of the disease was surprising for one as young as 35, as colon cancer tends to affect those who are 50 and above. After her diagnosis, Mrs. Pasqualetto entered a maze of uncertain therapies and conflicting treatment regimens. She would discuss her case with one doctor who would recommend a certain treatment regimen and then she would speak with a different doctor who advised a different course. She was given six months to live by one doctor while another told her he would do everything he could for her to live much longer.
Mrs. Pasqualetto's experience is, sadly, the norm for many cancer patients across the United States. While the U.S. certainly possesses the greatest treatment options in the world, many people are not actually given these treatments. Besides the well-publicized conflicts that many patients have with insurance companies, a lesser-known — but equally problematic — issue is that even where treatment guidelines exist, many patients do not receive the care that is recommended. One set of guidelines may recommend adjuvant chemotherapy and a course of surgery, while a patient may only receive chemotherapy or only receive the surgery.
Another problem a patient may run into is not discussing his or her options with another set of doctors. Too often patients begin a treatment regimen with a family physician. While comfort with one's doctor is an important part of any treatment program, one's family doctor will not have the experience with the disease that a specialist would have, so the family doctor may not be aware of the latest research and other cutting-edge treatments.
Cancer treatment is a maze that one is thrown into without a roadmap to follow. Karen Pasqualetto is alive today because of her dedication and her drive to help find the best treatment for her condition. She sought out second and third opinions and has done everything she can to help herself with her treatments. Even though she wasn't given a map, she's made the best possible journey she could have made and her dedication is itself a roadmap of sorts for others in similar shoes.
The New York Times has an article on the uneven nature of care given to cancer patients across the country. The article details the struggles of Karen Pasqualetto to find the best treatment for the cancer she was diagnosed with at 35. Mrs. Pasqualetto had just given birth to a daughter when her cancer was discovered. The diagnosis was colon cancer, metastatic to the liver. The advanced nature of the disease was surprising for one as young as 35, as colon cancer tends to affect those who are 50 and above. After her diagnosis, Mrs. Pasqualetto entered a maze of uncertain therapies and conflicting treatment regimens. She would discuss her case with one doctor who would recommend a certain treatment regimen and then she would speak with a different doctor who advised a different course. She was given six months to live by one doctor while another told her he would do everything he could for her to live much longer.
Mrs. Pasqualetto's experience is, sadly, the norm for many cancer patients across the United States. While the U.S. certainly possesses the greatest treatment options in the world, many people are not actually given these treatments. Besides the well-publicized conflicts that many patients have with insurance companies, a lesser-known — but equally problematic — issue is that even where treatment guidelines exist, many patients do not receive the care that is recommended. One set of guidelines may recommend adjuvant chemotherapy and a course of surgery, while a patient may only receive chemotherapy or only receive the surgery.
Another problem a patient may run into is not discussing his or her options with another set of doctors. Too often patients begin a treatment regimen with a family physician. While comfort with one's doctor is an important part of any treatment program, one's family doctor will not have the experience with the disease that a specialist would have, so the family doctor may not be aware of the latest research and other cutting-edge treatments.
Cancer treatment is a maze that one is thrown into without a roadmap to follow. Karen Pasqualetto is alive today because of her dedication and her drive to help find the best treatment for her condition. She sought out second and third opinions and has done everything she can to help herself with her treatments. Even though she wasn't given a map, she's made the best possible journey she could have made and her dedication is itself a roadmap of sorts for others in similar shoes.
Labels: cancer
posted by Belluck & Fox at
10:10 AM
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