Did you know that in some countries (including Canada), oncologists are NOT allowed to tell you about treatments that they themselves can’t offer you – no matter how beneficial those treatments might be for you?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
There are almost always more treatment options than your oncologist is aware of…or is able to tell you about…
That’s why today I’m going to share with you some simple tips for what NOT to do if you want better cancer care!
Advocacy is challenging, I know…
And advocating for yourself when you’re sick is even harder!!! It’s just not fair. But there are things you can do to give yourself the best chance at getting better, faster.
So keep these tips in mind when you’re at your next doctor’s appointment or when you’re making decisions about your treatment plan.
Top 3 “don’ts” for cancer care
1. Do not assume it’s true if your doctor says you are too advanced or that there are no more options for you.
Yes, there’s a very small chance that it might be so…but 90% of the time when patients are told this, it’s not the case. There are options, but your oncologist lacks the time or funds to explore them. (This is not the fault of your oncologist – it’s simply the nature of our current healthcare system.)
2. Do not assume that if your doctor says they are giving you the best treatment, it means they are.
In my 14 years as a Precision Cancer Medicine Advocacy Specialist, I can count on one hand (!) the number of times a patient came to us and was already on the best possible treatment option for them.
3. Do not accept a treatment plan that does not include genetic testing to identify the best treatment for you!
As of right now, there are hundreds of evidence-based and publicly funded cancer treatments for literally thousands of possible genetic mutations that could be involved in any one person’s cancer. And more are being developed every month!
Did you know: most cancer patients have more than one mutation involved in their cancer…in fact, we frequently find patients have 5-10 mutations working together to drive their cancer.
We’ve even had patients with more than 300 mutations! And each of these mutations affects on another, and affects the way your body will respond to different treatments.
(And just FYI: Ironically, patients with such a high number of mutations often respond exceptionally well to the right treatment!)
The right genetic testing plus the right analysis will give you the best results
That’s why you need comprehensive genetic testing AND an oncogenomics expert to analyze your results properly and recommend the most effective treatment (or treatment combination) for you.
I am telling you this because I want you to know, bottom line:
If you are getting cancer treatment without having received a genetic panel test (with at least 350 genes and ideally more than 500)…then neither you, nor your oncologist, can truly know if you’re on the right treatment, let alone the best treatment, for your cancer.
Does that make sense?
Book your FREE Cancer Care Strategy Session
If you have questions about any of the above, you’re welcome to book a Free 30-min Cancer Care Strategy Session with me! In this online call, I’ll help you to understand what your options are when it comes to getting the most advanced diagnostics and treatments, and how you can start to access them.
While I’m not able to recommend specific treatments for you in this free session – since that requires our team to do an in-depth dive into your medical records, as well as personalized research – I can educate you about Precision Cancer Medicine and what you can do to ensure that you’re getting the very best cancer care. Hundreds of folks have found this free call to be highly beneficial and game-changing for their cancer care!
And rest assured, there is no obligation to work with me and my team just by having a call. This is purely to help educate you about your options.
If you do want to get the most effective personalized treatment recommendations asap, just book a Precision Second Opinion with our cancer expert, Alex Rolland.
Knowledge is power!
on February 15, 2023