Docs Need Primer on Long-Term Effects of Chemotherapy

[07rescue]

I have been concerned because in my area (NYC) many of the managed care insurances are insisting that breast cancer patients see their PCP for follow-up after cancer treatment is complete, insisting that patients do not do any better staying with the much more expensive specialist care than with a primary care doctor, so we "don't need it". According to all the surveys of primary care doctors the vast majority fear taking responsibility for post cancer patients, and feel they are not qualified to do so. This recent survey adds some evidence that they are not, in fact, qualified or competent to do our follow up care. Dumping additional responsibilities onto the primary care physician because it is cheaper, who is not trained or up to date in cancer treatment, is bad medicine.