How to Transform a Cancer Patient's Journey

Frequently, possible cancer is detected at a specialist office. Speciality physicians usually send a sample to a core lab to obtain a confirmatory results.  However, just as frequently, the physician will just refer the patient to an oncologist for diagnosis and treatment.  Depending on a patient's location and the type of oncologist, the first appointment can take weeks to months to set up.  Moreover, the majority of patients will return to the original physician for treatment with a negative result after several weeks.

Testing in the physician's office enables the specialist to rule out cancer while the patient is in office.  Negative results means the specialist can decide on a best course of treatment during the same visit. A positive result gives the physician confidence to refer and gives the oncologist a way to identify urgent cases for earlier appointments.

Today the oncologist has two ways to decide on a treatment protocol.   Utilize PCR and NGS diagnostics to aid in that decision or trial and error.   Some genetic testing can be expensive and slow to results.  Often the results can be confusing and unhelpful.  Trial and error means trying a treatment protocol and seeing if it works.  The most common treatments, chemotherapy and radiation, have dreadful side-effects and take months to see the effects.  

Testing in the oncologist's office can eliminate repeat visits and long wait times for traditional testing. Moreover, a high-sensitivity diagnostic tool empowers the oncologist to test sooner and more frequently to see if the treatment is working.  If not, the oncologist can change the treatment sooner in the journey and find the best treatment protocol.  All of this can be in office while the patient waits. Eliminating two visits.

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Unfortunately, the markers for cancer remission and recurrence are not very sensitive.  Physicians rely on biopsies, blood tests, and scans to determine if the patient is cancer free.  These tests are not always determinate, so a physician may wait for clear signs to pronounce a patient clear or not clear.  Moreover, these test can often be done in the same facility but not the same department.   If possible, having appointment for all three on same day is helpful, but it also means the patient will likely spend most of the day at the facility.

Testing in the oncologists often with a high-sensitivity diagnostic tool that provides determinate results saves the oncologist and patient time and worry.  Testing in the office means a single visit to a single department.   The patient can ring the bell sooner and not have to worry and wait.

Testing in the office and getting the results in 30 minutes transforms the patient journey by eliminating multiple appointments, long wait times, accelerating the ability to receive the personalized treatment sooner, and enabling the provider and patient a simpler more informed conversation, likely on the first visit.