Does Personalized Care Matter in Cancer Treatment?

There’s nothing easy about facing down cancer and winning. Even when the diagnosis comes early and treatments are relatively short, patients often find themselves scared, confused, and in need of not only top-notch medical care but also a helping hand to make it through. While it’s true that expert care is and should be priority number one, there are other factors that can go into successful treatment.

Personalized care is one of those factors that should not be overlooked. Patients facing cancer are not numbers and they shouldn’t be treated as such. The best cancer care practices go above and beyond to ensure their patients are treated with respect and dignity. They do this by:

• Providing personalized treatment plans – No two patients or their cases of cancer are exactly alike. The best treatment centers recognize this and provide highly tailored treatment plans for the individual in question. They also go above and beyond to explain the plans and make sure patients know exactly what to expect every step of the way.

• Offering education – The “C” word is a scary one, but as much as many people believe they know about the disease, additional education is often required to put fears to rest and ensure patients can separate fact from fiction. The best treatment centers make sure their patients have access to the educational materials they need to understand the disease and potential treatments.

• Delivering a comfortable environment – The best cancer treatment centers understand it is very important for their patients to feel comfortable while they are receiving treatments. That’s why they work hard to provide treatment within their own facilities where they can ensure an environment that is comfortable.

• Treating people like people – Patients are more than a disease or illness, they are people. The best care centers understand this and go out of their way to treat their patients and their families with respect, courtesy, and compassion.

Cancer treatments can be scary, but they don’t have to be uncomfortable. When personalized, compassionate care is part of the treatment, coping becomes much more feasible for patients, their families and their friends.