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>> I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN TREAT JUST ABOUT ANY TYPE
OF PEDIATRIC CANCER THAT COMES THROUGH OUR DOORS.
BUT THERE ARE OCCASIONALLY INNOVATIVE OR NEW PROTOCOLS,
NEW DRUGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE AVAILABLE HERE,
EVEN FROM THE OUTSET, THAT WE CONSIDER REFERRAL
TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS.
I PERSONALLY WELCOME SECOND OPINIONS.
I THINK THE MORE OPINIONS WE HAVE THE BETTER BECAUSE I'M
ALWAYS LEARNING AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY
NEW AND BETTER TREATMENTS BEING DEVELOPED ALL THE TIME,
AND IF OUR PATIENTS CAN BENEFIT FROM THOSE, I AM ALL FOR THEM.
>> WE WERE KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT TRYING A NEW THERAPY
BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME WE ACTUALLY TALKED TO THE DOCTOR
ABOUT GOING TO CHOP WAS IN LATE 2006 BECAUSE THAT WAS WHEN
PATRICK'S MARROW HADN'T CLEARED, AFTER INDUCTION THERAPY.
SO THERE WASN'T REALLY A ROAD PLAN FOR US TO FOLLOW IF WE
WEREN'T GOING TO FOLLOW THE NORMAL COURSE OF TREATMENT
FOR HIS TYPE OF CANCER.
>> CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA IS ONE
OF THE LARGEST CANCER CENTERS IN THE COUNTRY AND I THINK
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AS A PHYSICIAN, IN TERMS OF KNOWING
HOW BEST TO MANAGE A PATIENT, COMES FROM EXPERIENCE.
SO THE MORE PATIENTS THAT A PHYSICIAN SEES,
THE MORE ONE KNOWS ABOUT THE ODDITIES OR THE EXCEPTIONS THAT
CAN OCCUR IN PATIENTS IN TERMS OF DETERMINING WHAT THE BEST
THERAPY IS FOR THAT PATIENT AND MANAGING THAT.
AND SO WE LIKE TO THINK THAT BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCE HERE,
WE HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER TO PHYSICIANS WHO MAY BE AT SMALLER
HOSPITALS IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS OF PATIENTS THAT THEY'VE
SEEN AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT EXPERTISE.
>> MANY TIMES WE'LL SEE A PATIENT FOR A SECOND OPINION
AND AGREE COMPLETELY WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS
OF THE TREATING PHYSICIAN.
AND IN THAT CASE, I THINK THE PATIENT AND FAMILY FEEL MORE
CONFIDENT PURSUING THE ROAD THAT HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED
AND OFTEN TIMES WE'LL HAVE A NICE DIALOGUE WITH THE TREATING
PHYSICIAN WHO MAY ALSO WALK AWAY FEELING CONFIDENT
IN THEIR TREATMENT PLANS.