Patients want the best possible medical care, especially when they are fighting cancer. But there are obstacles:
- Cancer treatment is one of the fastest moving fields in medicine. The explosion of research is overwhelming, and it is challenging to keep current.
- Doctors don't always agree on the best way to treat particular cancers.
- Medical information travels slowly. It can take a year or more for breakthroughs to become standard practice.
- Cancer treatments are extremely expensive and often have serious side effects, particularly when they target all dividing cells including healthy ones.
- For rare and advanced cancers, the best options are often found in clinical trials, but finding the right trial to enter can be difficult.
