As soon as a patient is diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, they get bombarded with information from their physician. In the face of so much data, many go home and start doing their own research, and that can lead to even more confusion. What is the best way to ensure that you are getting the best care?
Quality of mesothelioma care is often a question of geography
Unfortunately, the quality of your mesothelioma care often depends upon where in the country you are located. If you live in a major metropolitan area that provides you with access to university-based cancer treatment centers, you are likely to receive state-of-the-art treatment.
Unfortunately, roughly 85 percent of U.S. patients diagnosed with any time of cancer are treated at their local community hospital, and oncologists working in these centers have barely heard of the rare and fatal asbestos-related disease, let alone know the most up-to-date treatments.
Traveling to a major cancer center can make all the difference
As challenging as it may seem to leave your home and seek medical treatment elsewhere, doing so provides you with the best chance of being treated with the newest mesothelioma treatments. Making an appointment at one of the nation’s leading cancer centers should be among the first steps that a mesothelioma patient takes, as they are able to give you access to specialists in malignant mesothelioma, as well as the newest precision drugs that target the specific genetic mutations and proteins identified in your own tumor’s cells.
Failing to seek specialized mesothelioma care means that you put yourself in the position of receiving a treatment that is not only sub-optimal, but which also may end up working against treatments that specialists may try later, and which might have been effective if they’d been used as a first-line of defense.
If you are a newly diagnosed mesothelioma patient, or if someone you love has been diagnosed with this rare and fatal form of cancer, finding the most effective treatment often means leaving the comfort of your home and seeking help elsewhere. For information on where to find the best treatment options and other resources, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
