Medical treatment ‘choice’ and the informed patient

Clinical trial treatments aim to discover if a drug is safe, has side effects, and works better than established treatments. They offer important opportunities for patients to access the most innovative treatments for cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body., giving them the best possible chance of survival or extended life, and they are an essential part of developing the cancer treatments of the future.

“Do you have Hot Flushes?”

Each time I visited my cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. surgeon, he was desperate to offer me advice on how to deal with Hot Flushes. But this was the last hormonal drug side effect that bothered me. For the first time since I caught polio, hot flushes meant I was warm in the winter. 

But side effects can be a huge worry to many patients, causing endless trouble, and eventually forcing many patients to give up hormonal drug treatment – even though these expensive drugs are designed to prolong life. Presenting with horrendous side effects, and being told by doctors in Britain that they could offer no solution, eventually led me to setting up a web site called Having Fun After Cancer. 

At first my Cancer treatment was a doddle. Five days after diagnosisThe process of determining which condition a patient may have. I had a lumpectomy. Radiotherapy started a few days later, and again no problems - except fatigue. 

This article was originally published for the benefit of doctors in Independent Practitioner.

The term ‘patient choice’ has been so heavily corrupted that the altruism of the two little words is almost entirely lost. In the United Kingdom, the Government has coined ‘Patient Choice’ to represent an unclear, albeit well intentioned strategy. In the United States, the term is used to sell insurance policies. 

It is probably already too late to save the term ‘patient choice’ from the spin merchants. However, despite having lost that battle, people still remember the original meaning of the words and so there is no need, just yet, for an alternative.

For doctors, however, and particularly independent practitioners, patient choice has real implications. Success comes from knowing how to deal with a smarter, less tolerant patient population than ever before.