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Were these women irrational when they rejected adjuvant breast cancer treatment?

you're being emotional

Thirty percent of surveyed women with breast cancer reported skipping additional treatment following surgery. 

The implication: these women were irrational.

Although the research paper was released in November, these women were diagnosed with cancer a decade ago, 2005-2007, and the data were collected almost a decade ago, 2007-2009.

Perhaps the most egregious part of this research is that it treats “breast cancer” as a singular disease rather than the extremely heterogenous entity that it is. And how relevant are the findings to today’s patient given the age of the data?

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Proton therapy: one-quarter down

SCCA Proton Center

After seven treatments (21 to go) at Seattle Proton Therapy Center, I’ve learned patience and humor are key.

I keep reminding myself that there’s a particle accelerator somewhere “up there” and that the physics alone should make this awesome. But awesome doesn’t keep the blood flowing to my left arm when I’m stuck in an awkward “don’t move” position for a half-hour while the techs coax the machine out of a work stoppage!

Continue reading “Proton therapy: one-quarter down”