Inquiring about cancer

Regarding “Cancer treatment a crapshoot across Texas” (Page A2, Wednesday), there are several critical points to be understood by those with cancer. The first is that advertisements from cancer hospitals can be misleading. There is little attention given by government authorities to the accuracy and completeness of such adds.

Second, the only way a patient can protect herself from sub-optimal care is to ask many questions of her oncologist:

• What is my diagnosis, and how certain is that diagnosis?

• What guideline are you planning to follow in my treatment, and when was it published and by whom?

• What are all my alternate treatment options, along with the likelihood of success and the anticipated suffering from side effects of each?

If your oncologist says he is not following a guideline, then ask him to describe in writing for your medical record why he is not following a medical guideline.

I know several stories from those who lost loved ones to sub-optimal cancer treatment. By the time they realized that better treatments were available, it was too late to save the patient’s life. Finally, the way to put a stop to sub-optimal cancer treatment is for Medicare to cease paying for it. This will require some critical thinking by those who dole out our Medicare tax dollars for poor-quality medical care. John T. James, founder, Patient Safety America, Houston