Cancer care is getting more complicated, thanks to a better understanding of cancer’s molecular underpinnings. Doctors now think of cancer as more than 100 distinct diseases, with cancers including lung, breast and bladder broken into subtypes. That complexity is contributing to a divide in how patients fare depending on where they go. Oncologists at magnet cancer centers that dot the U.S. develop expertise in just a few cancer subtypes. They draw from a rapidly expanding arsenal of new drugs for specific and sometimes rare cancers, including experimental ones that aren’t widely available. But most people get treated locally to be near home and jobs. Local oncologists, faced with a range of cancers, can’t stay up-to-date on everything.
Read the full article: Cancer Care Is Getting Personal. Local Doctors Can’t Keep Up. //
Source: https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/cancer-treatment-personalized-doctors-170f4be6