Comments on: Why patients shouldn’t believe hospital cancer advertisements http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/01/patients-hospital-cancer-advertisements.html Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Leah Cohenhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/01/patients-hospital-cancer-advertisements.html#comment-124290 Leah Cohen Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:37:57 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=42023#comment-124290 I agree with almost everything in the article you cite except this:“such ads could persuade people with localized cases of more common diseases like prostate cancer to travel long distances from their families at great expense to obtain treatment that may be as successful, or unsuccessful, as the treatment available much closer to home.”This is just plain wrong. Prostate cancer patients at larger hospitals have been shown to do better than those treated by local doctors. For example: the standard of care for newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients today is robotically assisted radical prostatectomy. While I personally believe there is nothing to support this as a best practice, I do know that one's chances of achieving a successful result (in terms of cancer control and side effects) are MUCH higher when the RP is performed by a "high-volume" surgeon, who is more likely to be found at a large, urban hospital. Recent studies have shown that being operated on by a local surgeon who has not completed the steep "learning curve" associated with the RALP is very risky.On the other hand, travelling long distances for unproven techniques like proton beam radiation therapy aren't worth it.Leah F. Cohen prostatecancerblog.net A project of Malecare.org I agree with almost everything in the article you cite except this:

“such ads could persuade people with localized cases of more common diseases like prostate cancer to travel long distances from their families at great expense to obtain treatment that may be as successful, or unsuccessful, as the treatment available much closer to home.”

This is just plain wrong. Prostate cancer patients at larger hospitals have been shown to do better than those treated by local doctors. For example: the standard of care for newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients today is robotically assisted radical prostatectomy. While I personally believe there is nothing to support this as a best practice, I do know that one’s chances of achieving a successful result (in terms of cancer control and side effects) are MUCH higher when the RP is performed by a “high-volume” surgeon, who is more likely to be found at a large, urban hospital. Recent studies have shown that being operated on by a local surgeon who has not completed the steep “learning curve” associated with the RALP is very risky.

On the other hand, travelling long distances for unproven techniques like proton beam radiation therapy aren’t worth it.

Leah F. Cohen
prostatecancerblog.net
A project of Malecare.org

]]> By: Kairol Rosenthalhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/01/patients-hospital-cancer-advertisements.html#comment-123539 Kairol Rosenthal Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:01:25 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=42023#comment-123539 In my own care as a cancer patient, I have found that larger university teaching institutions often have more modern technology, scanners, and machinery. My doctors at larger university teaching hospitals also have played an active role in writing guidelines for my disease (nothing rare - just thyroid cancer). As such, their protocol for treating me is one that might take years to trickle down to the care of a doctor in a community hospital. Yes, there is a lot of glossy advertising and lobby waterfalls that come along with the university hospital cancer centers that have nothing to do with improving cancer mortality. However, there are a lot of benefits to these hospitals that while maybe not reducing mortality rates can lead to improved quality of care for patients. In my own care as a cancer patient, I have found that larger university teaching institutions often have more modern technology, scanners, and machinery. My doctors at larger university teaching hospitals also have played an active role in writing guidelines for my disease (nothing rare – just thyroid cancer). As such, their protocol for treating me is one that might take years to trickle down to the care of a doctor in a community hospital. Yes, there is a lot of glossy advertising and lobby waterfalls that come along with the university hospital cancer centers that have nothing to do with improving cancer mortality. However, there are a lot of benefits to these hospitals that while maybe not reducing mortality rates can lead to improved quality of care for patients.

]]> By: The Mind Relaxerhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/01/patients-hospital-cancer-advertisements.html#comment-123128 The Mind Relaxer Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:41:00 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=42023#comment-123128 Interesting, we should hope that these hospitals would come up with good advertisement so not to harm cancer patients emotions. Very informative post. Thanks Interesting, we should hope that these hospitals would come up with good advertisement so not to harm cancer patients emotions. Very informative post. Thanks

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