mesothelioma blog

The New York Times health blog reprinted Hamilton Jordan’s advice from his 2001 memoir:

No. 1: Be an active partner in the medical decisions that are made about your life.
No. 2: Seek and know the truth about your illness, and prognosis.
No. 3: Get a second opinion.
No. 4: Determine upfront how broad or narrow your physicians’ experience is.
No. 5: If you have a poor prognosis, or a rare form of cancer, try to get to a center of excellence.
No. 6: Do not allow your caregivers to project their values, goals and expectations onto you.
No. 7: Understand the economics of cancer care.
No. 8: Ultimately, find a doctor that you trust and believe in.
No. 9: Treat your mind as well as your body.
No. 10: Your attitude and beliefs are your most powerful weapon against cancer.

Nature published an article last month on the idea of personalizing medicine based on analysis of the patient’s genes. Current treatment methods decide on the treatment approached based on the organ the cancer develops in. This method evolved over the decades because it provided the highest probability of success for any given patient, given that no details were known about how different patients would respond to different treatments.

Now that we understand more about the genetic origins of cancer and how genes affect the growth and development of tumors, scientists look forward to a knowledge-based approach and a data-driven approach to addressing cancer in the future.

Hamilton Jordan - Jimmy Carter’s campaign genius in 1976 and later his White House Chief of Staff. He had four different types of cancer during his life. He eventually died from mesothelioma last week after a long battle with the illness. Big tribute in Atlanta last week.