Ochsner Cancer Institute Considers Expanding Treatment Program into Latin America

Thoracic surgeon Rodney Landreneau, M.D., joined the Ochsner Cancer Institute in New Orleans as director in 2013 with an ambitious goal, creating a Mesothelioma Specialty Program that could service the entire Gulf South Region. His vision already has been expanded. Now he wants an international program. Landreneau hopes to extend his reach and begin attracting patients from South and Central America, where specialized mesothelioma care has been slow to develop, while the incidence of the disease has grown considerably. "As far as I know, there are no institutions there focusing on mesothelioma," Landreneau told Asbestos.com recently. "South and Central America have some of the same risks and exposures, and high incidence rates that we have on the Gulf Coast. We can help them here. It would be a natural fit." Landreneau is expecting to utilize Ochsner's long-standing stretch into South America, where it has been a popular health care destination for patients with the means to travel. The Ochsner International Health Services Department already has a proven framework in place, which should simplify the move into international mesothelioma care. Long History of International Patients Ochsner physicians have been treating an estimated 4,000 international patients annually. The majority is seen at the Ochsner Medical Center, but doctors affiliated with Ochsner also travel to remote locations for specialized medical care. "The medical relationship between Ochsner and [Latino...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Treatment & Doctors Source Type: news