A Conference on Bioethics and Humanities, and Future Planning

The tone, overall, was intense. Intellectual, brain-stimulating… By contrast to other medical meetings I’ve attended, there was little glitz, scant makeup and limited Wireless. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the ASBH conference

Posted in Academic Medicine, Life as a Doctor, Medical Education, Medical EthicsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments on A Conference on Bioethics and Humanities, and Future Planning

Contemplating Breast Cancer, Beyond October 2012

I’m optimistic, because it looks as though, in my lifetime, BC treatment will be tailored to each patient. There’ll be less surgery and better drugs.

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer causes, cancer treatment, clinical trials, Future of Medicine, health care delivery, Informed Consent, Medical Education, Oncology (cancer), PathologyTagged , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments on Contemplating Breast Cancer, Beyond October 2012

Reading Between the Lines, and Learning from an Epidemiologist

She writes: “I believe that every edu­cated person must at the very least under­stand how these inter­preters of medical knowledge examine, or should examine, it to arrive at the conclusions.”

Posted in Books, Communication, Empowered Patient, Medical Education, StatisticsTagged , , , , , , , Leave a Comment on Reading Between the Lines, and Learning from an Epidemiologist

How Much Do You Want Your Doctors To Say About Risks of Treatment?

This kind of paternalism, when a doctor assesses the risks and benefits, and spares the patient’s “knowing” seems anachronistic. But it may, still, be what many people are looking for when and if they get a serious illness. Not everyone wants a “tell me everything” kind of physician.

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer treatment, Empowered Patient, Informed Consent, Life as a Patient, Oncology (cancer), Patient Autonomy, Patient-Doctor RelationshipTagged , , , , , , , , , 19 Comments on How Much Do You Want Your Doctors To Say About Risks of Treatment?

This Week’s Triple, Tough Dose of Real Stories on Women with Cancer

This news reminds us an aspect of cancer treatment some of us would rather put out of our heads….all cancer patients should take careful notes on their planned treatments and ask their doctors about the long-term consequences of therapy.

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer awareness, cancer survival, cancer treatment, Medical News, Oncology (cancer), Women's HealthTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment on This Week’s Triple, Tough Dose of Real Stories on Women with Cancer

News on an Unusual Cancer Treatment by Heat in Surgery (Hipec)

There’s so much weird and exciting cancer news this week, it’s hard to keep up! Double-kudos to Andrew Pollack on his front-page and careful coverage in the New York Times of the hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (Hipec) technique that’s being used at some name-brand health care facilities to treat colon cancer. First, he spares no detail […]

Posted in cancer treatment, Communication, Medical News, Oncology (cancer)Tagged , , , , , , , , , 7 Comments on News on an Unusual Cancer Treatment by Heat in Surgery (Hipec)

The Big C: Cathy Goes For Treatment

In this week’s episode, Boo!, Cathy wakes up in the morning eager and ready to start treatment on a clinical trial. The day doesn’t go well – the local treatment center doesn’t have needed information about her insurance, which can’t be tracked down on time, her 15 year old son gets in trouble at school, […]

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Patients’ Words, Unfiltered, Medical Journalism and Evidence

Yesterday’s post was not really about Avastin, but about medical journalism and how patients’ voices are handled by the media. L. Husten, writing on a Forbes blog, cried that the press fawned, inappropriately, over patients’ words at the FDA hearing last week, and that led him to wonder why and if journalists should pay attention to […]

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer treatment, Empowered Patient, health care costs, Medical News, Oncology (cancer), PolicyTagged , , , , , , , , 2 Comments on Patients’ Words, Unfiltered, Medical Journalism and Evidence

The Flip Side of Unrealistic Optimism

Last week, Pauline Chen wrote on medical ethics and clinical trials. She reflects on her training at a cancer research hospital, where some cancer patients go with unrealistic optimism.

Like Dr. Chen, I spent part of my training at a famous cancer center where I worked as a resident and fellow on rotations. And yes, some patients were unreasonably optimistic and some – perhaps even most, it seemed – didn’t fully “get” the purpose of their trial, which in Phase I studies were not designed to help them. This is a real dilemma for treating oncologists.

Posted in clinical trials, Ideas, Informed Consent, Medical Ethics, Oncology (cancer), Patient AutonomyTagged , , , , , 2 Comments on The Flip Side of Unrealistic Optimism

Stunning Comments on the Risk of Breast Implants, and Cancer

The FDA recently identified a link between breast implants and a rare form of lymphoma. From today’s report in the New York Times: When talking to patients about a rare type of cancer linked to breast implants, plastic surgeons should call it “a condition” and avoid using the words cancer, tumor, disease or malignancy, the […]

Posted in Breast Cancer, Communication, Informed Consent, language, Oncology (cancer), Patient Autonomy, Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment on Stunning Comments on the Risk of Breast Implants, and Cancer

FDA Reports on Association of Breast Implants and a Rare Form of Lymphoma

It’s a Pandora’s box, but one that needs be opened. The problem is that if we biopsy every abnor­mality – such as a minor thick­ening or fluid accu­mu­lation adjacent to a breast implant – we’ll hike up the costs and, more impor­tantly, the com­pli­ca­tions asso­ciated: With every needle stick there’s a risk of infection, addi­tional scar for­mation and more. On the other hand, you wouldn’t want to overlook a treatable, early-stage lym­phoma. Women need to know of the risks of implants, which can only be deter­mined if doctors thor­oughly inves­tigate these sorts of complications.

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer treatment, Medical News, Oncology (cancer), Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Women's HealthTagged , , , , , , , , 1 Comment on FDA Reports on Association of Breast Implants and a Rare Form of Lymphoma

Sad Stats for Science Knowledge in U.S. Schools

Today’s Times reports on our nation’s students’ poor science test results. The results are bleak: only 34% of fourth graders scored at a “proficient” level or higher; just 30% of eight graders scored at a proficient level or higher; 21% of twelfth graders scored at a proficient or higher level in science. The mega-analysis, prepared […]

Posted in Empowered Patient, Future of Medicine, Informed Consent, Medical Education, Patient Autonomy, Public Health, ScienceTagged , , , , , , Leave a Comment on Sad Stats for Science Knowledge in U.S. Schools

Informed Consent on Paper, but Not in Reality

Over the long weekend I caught up on some reading. One article stands out. It’s on informed consent, and the stunning disconnect between physicians’ and patients’ understanding of a procedure’s value.

The study used survey methods to evaluate 153 cardiology patients’ understanding of the potential benefit of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, or angioplasty)…

Posted in Cardiology, Communication, Informed Consent, Medical Ethics, Patient Autonomy, Under the RadarTagged , , , , , 4 Comments on Informed Consent on Paper, but Not in Reality
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