Maybe It's Time To Rethink Patient Safety When 1/3 Of The Cancer Professionals Would Have Prescribed The Wrong Treatment In Response To A Lecturer's Question

I was sitting in a large lecture hall with about 1000 of my oncology colleagues this past week when I had one of "those moments." It wasn't a spectacular moment, and I doubt that anyone else in the room really paid much attention to the moment, but for me it was a significant moment--and frankly a bit chilling if not frightening. In short, in answer to an audience response question--which admittedly is not a scientifically valid survey--over 1/3 of the oncology professionals sitting in the audience would have prescribed a treatment for advanced colon cancer that not only has been shown not to work, but also shorten lives. At that moment, I became very concerned about the implications of that response and what it may mean for patient care. Maybe I am overdramatizing this a bit, but what happened pointed out to me that we may have a serious problem in cancer care, and it is imperative that we do something about it. So here is what happened: The lecturer was reviewing new guidelines and information on the treatment of colon cancer that had spread through the body. The occasion was the annual meeting of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a consortium of 23 nationally recognized cancer centers that have come together and collaborate on tools to help oncologists and others better understand what the appropriate treatment options are available for patients with a variety of cancers. It is also an organization for which I have a great deal of respect for the work they do and...
Source: Dr. Len's Cancer Blog - Category: Cancer Authors: Tags: Breast Cancer Cancer Care Colon Cancer Medications Survivors Treatment Source Type: blogs