Included in the feature on cancer this past weekend in the New York Times, some advice from Dr. Richard C. Wender, president of the American Cancer Society. Wender gives advice to cancer patients and their families on how to ensure they are receiving the best treatment available.Dr. Wender advises taking the time to find the right help and getting more than one opinion. For second opinions, if not first ones, he suggests finding a 'high volume site, ' even if it means traveling. He suggests that patients should ask how many cases like theirs the doctor has seen.
If the operation or therapy is complex, a patient should opt for treatment at the highest-volume center. If the higher-volume center only confirms what the first opinion stated, then treatment at home is a reasonable option however, according to Wender.
Two websites that might help you find expert centers are one from the National Cancer Institute and another from the American College of Surgeons.
For patients without healthcare coverage, the American Cancer Society has a 1-800 number set up to try to assist them (1-800-ACS-2345). While the ACS is able to help 20 percent of such callers get the financial resources they need, they are unable to help 80 percent of the callers at the current time, according to Dr. Wender.
