Daniel Flora: New targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy for metastatic colon cancer
Daniel Flora, Medical Director of Oncology Research at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, shared a post on Substack:
“At this year’s GI ASCO meeting, I attended a presentation on a new targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy for metastatic colon cancer.
The results showed significantly improved survival compared to standard treatment. It was a meaningful advance, and there was excitement among the oncologists and patient advocates in the room.
Then came the safety data.
The regimen was associated with significant side effects. The presenter acknowledged this and reviewed the adverse events. But the summary ended with a phrase I’ve heard far too often:
‘The toxicities were manageable.’
It never sits right with me.
Manageable for who?
It shouldn’t be up to us as physicians to decide what’s manageable. That belongs to the person living through the treatment.
We can and should celebrate better outcomes. But we also need to be honest about the cost. The experience of treatment matters. It deserves to be acknowledged with clarity and respect.
That is how we honor progress. That is how we keep patients at the center of everything we do.”
More posts featuring Daniel Flora.
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Challenging the Status Quo in Colorectal Cancer 2024
December 6-8, 2024
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ESMO 2024 Congress
September 13-17, 2024
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ASCO Annual Meeting
May 30 - June 4, 2024
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Yvonne Award 2024
May 31, 2024
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OncoThon 2024, Online
Feb. 15, 2024
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Global Summit on War & Cancer 2023, Online
Dec. 14-16, 2023