A lack of communication between cancer specialists, cancer patients, and primary care physicians often means that the latter are unaware of the lingering side effects of chemotherapy. Yet when cancer treatments are completed, primary care physicians play a vital part in the continuing care of survivors.
Those were the main findings of a survey to be presented at the meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.
HealthDay reports that during a news conference on May 16th, lead author Dr. Larissa Nekhlyudov, an assistant professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School, said, "While oncologists commonly identify the main late effects of four common cancer drugs, primary care providers did not."
HealthDay said further that one expert noted that the study highlights the need for more communication between the doctors involved in a patient's care but that other experts stressed that patients need to take a pro-active role in their own healthcare. Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, is quoted as saying, "This study just highlights the importance of communication on everyone's part, including the patient."
