(4/6/99)
A blue ribbon panel of doctors and scientists today called for creation of a
national system to help cancer patients better assess the treatment options
available to them.
Charles Sherrill reports from our Washington bureau that a Utah expert is
spearheading the effort.
About 8-million Americans were treated for cancer last year and many received
less than the best care, according to a report released today by the National
Cancer Policy Board.
Dr. Joseph Simone, medical director of the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the
University of Utah, says, "Some individuals we know do not receive effective
care."
Dr. Simone is Vice Chair of the Policy Board.
"The size of this problem is not known. We believe, however, that it is
substantial," he says.
They say cancer centers with the most experience tend to provide the best
treatment.
"There might be some technology, new technology, that occassionally arises
that's only available in one or two places in the country. But I don't know of
any common cancer which can't be treated quite well in the state of Utah."
The panel found 42 percent of cancer patients receive too little pain relief.
"That's not acceptable," says Dr. Simone.
They found under use of mammography to detect breast cancer.
Under use of radiation and chemotherapy following surgery.
And inadequate patient counseling about treatment options.
Dr. Simone says, "We found an appalling lack of information on the quality of
care for most cancers."
Simone says there's often just one chance to choose the correct course of
treatment.
"If that chance is lost at the beginning frequently it is not possible to
recover."
The cancer experts say you should take the time now to learn about the
treatment resources available in your community even though you may never need
them. Once you're actually diagnosed with the disease, they say, you may be
too traumatized to do the homework that could save your life.
A wealth of information and personal counseling about treatment for many
types of cancer is available at no charge from the National Cancer Institute in
Bethesda, Maryland.
Contact them at 1-800-4-CANCER
or at cis.nci.nih.gov
Go to full Cancer Board Report
