October 10, 2011
If there is a treatment option available for a cancer patient that is more effective, cheaper, and poses fewer risks than other available treatments, common sense says to use it. However, Medicare in four states, including Colorado, is denying patients just that. Colorado’s 9 News reports that a treatment called Cyberknife, a fairly new form of radiation treatment available for men suffering from prostate cancer, is being denied to patients because of a supposed lack of research behind the procedure.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Cyberknife for use more than a decade ago, and while most patients in the United States can receive the treatment, one independent regional contractor is holding out. Trailblazer Health Enterprises, who oversees a four state area including Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, states, “The long term effects are not well understood…conclusions from some of the studies are not known.”
Many in the industry disagree with this healthcare giant, saying new research proves the viability of the procedure. Dr. Gregg Dickerson, MD, says new research culminated from five years of data shows just why the procedure is an outstanding option for most men. He says he has sued Medicare on behalf of Colorado patients more than forty times and won and remarked, “No man deserves to be denied an option.”
The Colorado Personal Injury Lawyers with the McDivitt Law Firm want to know what you think. Should men have free will over the treatment they receive for a life threatening illness, or is that a decision better left to insurance companies? Tell us what you think on our Facebook page.
