Question for Oncodoc re: study?

[cindi o'h]

First of all, Joe, thank you so much for all of your good, kind help and support here. We all appreciate your time and exptertise.

I was at a good doctor visit today with a specialist whom is admired and thought of very highly in the medical community here and most especially by me. She is not an oncologist. I have been a pt. of record of hers for close to twenty years, so we had a bit of talking to do regarding the changes in my health. I cited your statistics to her regarding the occurrence of lung cancers after a person has stopped smoking. You made these comments under a post by LisaRN in Sept. This M.D. said that she has never heard of that and made me promise to collect data to bring back to show her. So, Dr. Joe, would you be so kind as to tell me where you got that information? I know that you didn't pull it out of thin air...specialists don't do that. What study was it, and where can I get ahold of it?

Thanks again.

Cindi o'h

[kimblanchard]

Cindi I don't know that I've ever seen this phenomenon published in the medical literature but it is present in the data if you look at it directly. This was pointed out at a conference by Gary Strauss who is a very bright oncologist who used to be at Dana Farber. The problem is that if you read the studies they don't mention it. If you look at the raw data it's pretty obvious. I would need to post the graphs for you but can't seem to cut and paste jpeg files. Does anyone know how to do this?

By the way, which health care system do you go to?

[cindi o'h]

Thanks Joe,

Still would like to show Dr. Penny W., (on the cover of the last Twin Cities "Top Docs".) She was very concerned about the info. you presented...

I am a fortunate person in that I can choose pretty much any participating physician in the Medica network. Under my COBRA plan, I do not require referrals to any specialist and as far as I know, it is a pretty good plan. In keeping with my personality of liking to have control over my life and my situations, I tend to go "all over the place". The U., Southdale, independent physicians for all my "ailments" mostly in the Allina/Abbott networks. I have had my good care and not so good care like everyone else. And I am fortunate that I can continue to jump around if something doesn't strike me right. When I was a student at the U...grad '82...a few years before you, , my favorite all time prof. was Dr. Wm. O'Brien, an oncologist and public health doc....did you have him or remember him?

Anyway, he said to find the best health care provider "before" you need health care. Easier said than done. You just don't know until you get in there and get the experience of the physician and office under your belt.

I didn't start with Arak, but he is the man now. In fact, I just got back from a PFT over there and another CT. Of course, I am nervous. I didn't do very well on the PFT and now I wait until Thurs. to see the oncologist. The last CT showed lots of new stuff and he wanted a VATS, but because of my recent stent placement and Plavix , the surgeon declined the procedure and deemed it as being too risky. Bummer. Not even a thoracentesis.

So, I am holdin' onto my seat while I ride this ride. I got out to the Arboretum though one day last week when the sky was a deep blue and opened the top of the cruiser while we gaped at all of the colors...so that was good. Still living and definitely still kickin'...

Thanks, Joe...You are a good doc, I can tell. (Still, I would like to have something tangilble to show Penny, though)

Cindi o'h

[cindi o'h]

Hey Dr. Joe!

Blessings Dr. Joe, to you and your beautiful family..

Cindi o'h