The exceptions are some of the more difficult forms of cancer, and who can argue with making this modality available to the few people who can benefit from it? Such was clearly the case with 12 year old David Gerfast, who received several weeks of treatment for chordoma, a rare type of cancer that occurs in the bones of the skull and spine. As noted here: “Chordomas are generally slow growing, but are relentless and tend to recur after treatment. Because of their proximity to critical structures such as the spinal cord, brainstem, nerves and arteries, they are difficult to treat and require highly specialized care.”
What more moving presentation could be offered by Mayo Clinic than to present David’s case as an example of what will be possible in its new $180 million proton beam facility, particularly in association with the grand opening event this past week?
There’s only one problem with Mayo’s use of David’s story. He was treated at the proton beam facility at Massachusetts General Hospital. This is not mentioned by Mayo–here’s the script from the video–although at one point in the story, there is an onscreen credit associated with some of his images.
And, if you search old stories about the case, you can learn the same thing. Here’s one from the local ABC affiliate back in January: “David is preparing to undergo Proton Beam Radiation Therapy in Boston, his father said.”
Why does this matter? The good news is that David was effectively treated, something for which we should all be grateful. And, as I note above, the issue is not the efficacy of proton beams in these types of cases.
The issue is how many $200 million machines do we need in the country. Yes, it was inconvenient for David and his family to travel to Boston. But look again at this map and note how many proton beam facilities there are and will be within just a few hundred miles of one another in the Midwest–and Texas–and Florida–and the East Coast–and California–and the Southeast:
For the remarkably small number of appropriate cancer cases that would benefit from proton beam therapy, we could spend a tiny portion of the billions being invested in facilities and offer deluxe travel arrangements for all affected families, including support for those left back home. Instead, we spend the billions, and then hospitals justify the use of the machine on cancers that are not appropriate clinical targets for this form of radiation. It is hard to imagine a less rational form of health care planning for the country.
Beyond this issue of national policy, I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about Mayo’s use of a case treated elsewhere as part of its own publicity, with no acknowledgement of that fact. (Here’s the script again.) I am at a loss to find the right words for this oddly deceptive presentation. What possible purpose was served by the omission?
SOURCE: Not Running a Hospital – Read entire story here.
