Multidisciplinary second opinion centers

Many cancer patients are dying, not because treatments are not available, but because the initial physician failed to offer the best possible treatment. Cancer is an unusual disease for many reasons – if you don’t treat it properly the first time, often there is no second chance because cancer grows geometrically.
Often an initial treatment precludes [...]

Ethics vs Ego

Oncologists have the ability to have a great influence on many lives. They can sit back and play it safe with no exposure or with a little effort, they can cause many patients and their families to be tremendously benefited psychologically and possibly physically.
My niece, in her mid thirties with a small child, was diagnosed [...]

Selecting a Doctor

Do you ever wonder why some oncologists are so bright and cheerful and optimistic with their patients while others are negative, discouraging and sometimes downright frightening. I call these others, “Play it safe doctors”. Their patients very rarely win because the doctor is afraid to take a chance. They want to play a no-lose game! [...]

Choices

I have thought how devastating it must be for an oncologist to give a horribly toxic treatment to a seemingly strong patient, totally destroying the quality of their life, only to find it ineffective and watch the patient die. That physician not only has my sympathy, but my admiration, providing the treatment was given with [...]

Increasing the odds

It has been felt for many years that there is a relationship between the patient’s mental attitude and successful cancer treatment. A great deal of effort has been put into scientifically proving this relationship with very little definitive results.
There are many anecdotal stories validating the premise but very little substantive proof. Personally, I have never [...]

Emergency!

For years we have preached to cancer patients to find a qualified oncologist who believed he could successfully treat you. Now, more than ever, those words are vital! Curable individuals are being told, “There is nothing that can be done” or “The treatments are worse than [...]

Informed Decision

Every cancer patient is entitled to make an informed decision. While it sounds so simple, it is possibly one of the most difficult aspects in getting started in the right direction. Being told that nothing can be done, that surgery is required tomorrow or take these [...]

Patient Responsibility

In discussing the idea of mandatory second opinions for newly diagnosed cancer patients (www.blastcancer.org) a cancer support organization came to the conclusion that the patient must be responsible for his/her own body in lieu of another Federal or state regulation. That’s only logical. If I don’t [...]

Deciding to take treatments

“Should I take chemotherapy?” Lately I have heard this question asked by callers several times. Whether it is by an 80 year old gentleman with slow growing lung cancer, by a 52 year old lady with advanced ovarian cancer or a young lady with breast cancer. The answers, with numerous qualifications, is [...]

Time is critical

Time is a critical factor in the successful treatment of cancer. Cancer grows geometrically. In other words, 1 billion cancer cells will become 2 billion or 10 billion will become 20 billion in the same length of time it takes 1 cell to become 2. Cancer [...]

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