In this article a scientist (not medical) with the advantage of a searching mind (& biologist wife) tells his story fighting for an off label treatment.
Even though this story is not a case of breast cancer, there are basic facts which are applicable to almost all cases especially when standard treatment options are few or of doutful outcome.
As in the case of the travails of the lung cancer patient in a previous post (
http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin...ad.php?t=25632), the scientist had to face at least two major obstacles:
-opposition of oncs to non standard treatments even in the face of some evidence of the possible efficacy of off label treatments (fear of losing licence & fear of lawsuits).
-cost based mentality of hospitals taken precedence over medical necessity.
Even with all his advantages the scientist had to wait 2 years & had to enjoy a "lucky" secondary disease to get what he wanted.
It is no wonder that the average patient with a similar predicament may not always get the best individualized medical treatment.
http://www.communityoncology.net/jou...es/0301013.pdf
An interview with Stephen H. Schneider, PhD, Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University
The patient from hell
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