#LCSM Chat Topic 2019-02-07: Is it worth the drive?
Unfortunately, you just got diagnosed with cancer. You and your family are desperately trying to figure out where to go and which doctor to see. But how far are you willing to go? Can you be more confident in your diagnosis, decrease your complications, and improve your chances of survival if you drive a little farther, past your local hospital, to a specialized center that treats a higher volume of cancer patients? What would it take for you, the patient, to go that extra distance? Seminal surgical studies have described a “volume… Read More
#LCSM Chat Topic 6/29: When Doctors Disagree
Increasingly, the care of lung cancer patients has become a multi-doctor, multi-disciplinary job. Gone are the days (thankfully!) when a paternalistic doctor prescribed a treatment plan that was unquestioned by the patient. The internet and ease of travel have allowed unprecedented access to information and to physicians. As more treatment options and strategies become available for lung cancer patients, it is inevitable that they will be faced with differing opinions from their physicians with regard to how to personalize their care. Examples are plentiful, such as decisions between surgery or radiation therapy… Read More