For a patient newly diagnosed with cancer, it's important that they make sure they educate themselves on their disease and all of their options, explained Janice Mehnert, MD, Head of the Phase I Developmental Therapeutics Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
For a patient newly diagnosed with cancer, it's important that they make sure they educate themselves on their disease and all of their options, explained Janice Mehnert, MD, Head of the Phase I Developmental Therapeutics Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
If you could recommend one thing to a patient newly diagnosed with cancer, what would it be?
It’s important for patients to understand that when you’re planning your cancer care, it’s really important to make sure that [while] you’re a participant in this journey that you’re comfortable in this journey, more important than getting your diagnosis and getting your infusion two weeks later, which every patient always wants … When a patient hears “You have cancer,” and needs systemic treatment. The next question is always, “Well, when am I going to get started?” [But] if I could impress something on patients, it’s much more important—for the most part—to take that time to educate yourself about the disease, get a good education get another opinion, seek out a clinical trial consultation. That’s critical because that’s the only time you’re really ever able to do that. There are a few cases where it’s a true emergency to initiate therapy. Seeking multi op seeking expert consultations and seeking trial offerings is really empowering to patients. If I were to have a dream policy change that would something that would be mandatory for every patient who has a diagnosis of cancer. Especially with immunotherapy—we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for clinical research. And understanding that now we’re just going to improve upon the existing advancements, but we still need to have those expert consultations and those expert collaborations. I think patients should know that.
Dr Dalia Rotstein: Physicians Must Be Aware MS Affects People of All Backgrounds
April 24th 2024Dalia Rotstein, MD, MPH, emphazises the importance of awareness that multiple sclerosis (MS) impacts patients from various backgrounds as clinicians think through ways to improve access to care and research efforts in MS.
Read More
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
Beyond Insulin: The Impact of Next-Generation Diabetes Technology
April 17th 2024Experts explain how new diabetes technologies like continuous glucose monitors are transforming care beyond intensive insulin therapy, offering personalized insights and improving outcomes for patients of all treatment levels.
Read More
Empowering Community Health Through Wellness and Faith
April 23rd 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. In the third episode, Camille Clarke-Smith, EdD, MS, CHES, CPT, discusses approaching community health holistically through spiritual and community engagement.
Listen
Increasing Lp(a) Awareness for Better Cardiovascular Health: Dr Mary McGowan
March 24th 2024For Lp(a) Awareness Day, Mary McGowan, MD, FNLA, chief medical officer of the Family Heart Foundation, highlights how most people with elevated Lp(a) are completely unaware that they have this increased risk and calls for increased testing.
Read More