Recently I had a patient who came to me, confused with the advice given by her doctors.
She has breast cancer and her surgeon advised her to have a radical mastectomy (removing the whole breast) and also all the surrounding lymph nodes at her armpit area. It is a massive operation. She then consulted an oncologist who told her that a simple mastectomy would be sufficient and post-operation, she could go for chemotherapy to kills off the rest of the cancer cells.
She was confused as she did not know whom she could listen to.
I told her that in medicine, there are many ways to treat a same illness. Which options to choose would depends on age of the patient, skills of the surgeon (if the surgeon is not skillful enough for a large operation, then a simpler operation with follow-up chemotherapy would be a better option), latest advances in chemotherapy drugs etc.
As a cancer epidemiologist, I sat down and went through these possible options and also other options which was not discussed with her previously, reviewed all the evidence available to see which option can give the best survival rate and also the cost and long term complication of each option. After she was informed with these options, she went back and thought through them and then came back a few days later with her decision made of which option she would choose.
So, don't be confused with all the different advice given by the various doctors, you need to evaluate the pros and cons of each option and make a better decision.
She has breast cancer and her surgeon advised her to have a radical mastectomy (removing the whole breast) and also all the surrounding lymph nodes at her armpit area. It is a massive operation. She then consulted an oncologist who told her that a simple mastectomy would be sufficient and post-operation, she could go for chemotherapy to kills off the rest of the cancer cells.
She was confused as she did not know whom she could listen to.
I told her that in medicine, there are many ways to treat a same illness. Which options to choose would depends on age of the patient, skills of the surgeon (if the surgeon is not skillful enough for a large operation, then a simpler operation with follow-up chemotherapy would be a better option), latest advances in chemotherapy drugs etc.
As a cancer epidemiologist, I sat down and went through these possible options and also other options which was not discussed with her previously, reviewed all the evidence available to see which option can give the best survival rate and also the cost and long term complication of each option. After she was informed with these options, she went back and thought through them and then came back a few days later with her decision made of which option she would choose.
So, don't be confused with all the different advice given by the various doctors, you need to evaluate the pros and cons of each option and make a better decision.
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