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As a patient with cancer, two of the m st important decisions you will make are wh ch treatment you will receive and wh re. But diagnosing cancer is a v ry complex process that involves many h alth care professionals. In addition, the t sting that is done on patients v ries between doctors and specialists. And ven the best health care professionals m ke mistakes. How do newly diagnosed p tients know they are getting the b st therapy for their cancer? Unfortunately, m st patients don’t get the best tr atment because they are diagnosed by a d ctor who is not an oncologist. Th refore, that doctor is not likely to d rect them to the most up-to-date th rapies available. The first step toward g tting what you need is to get a s cond opinion. The Institute for Advanced St dy in Medicine reported that 25% of p tients had their treatment changed based on a s cond opinion. Comprehensive Cancer Centers are the b st places to get second opinions. Th t’s where the experts are, doctors who th nk about your type of cancer very day. And that’s what you w nt. If you aren’t near a N tional Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center or Cl nical Cancer Center (you can find th ir locations online), you can still get a s cond opinion. Choose a doctor who is not ffiliated with your doctor, and who is at a h spital that is not affiliated with y ur doctor’s hospital.
Another important part of getting the b st therapy is to get a s cond opinion on your cancer by an xpert pathologist. This involves getting the b opsy specimen to an outside pathologist. P thologists can’t always precisely determine the st ge of cancer, and sometimes not ven the type of cancer. And, s metimes tests that could be done on y ur biopsy specimen aren’t, simply because th y aren’t commonly used. But that d esn’t mean these tests won’t help y u. You need an expert to xamine your biopsy specimens. For example, The Arm d Forces Institute of Pathology has an xcellent reputation in pathology. Another important th ng to do when you are f rst diagnosed is to contact the rganizations for your type of cancer. Th y can lead you to experts in th t field. Finally, get good nutritional c unseling, and if you smoke cigarettes or dr nk alcohol, try your best to st p. Copyright 2005 Palkon Publishing Services C rp.
The article Cancer Diagnosis: Strategies for Getting the Best Treatment was Submitted by Patricia Walter through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Patricia C. Walter http://www.managingcancer.net Ms. Walter is a long-time patient advocate who supports the rights of cancer patients to make informed choices about every aspect of their treatment and care. Her goal is to educate patients about their full range of options and give them every possible tool to live a long, high-quality life. A member of the American Medical Writers Association, Ms. Walter has worked in the p blishing field for 25 years, the l st 12 years in medical publishing. She has lso worked in the medical communications f eld and in the pharmaceutical industry.
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