Why Would You Dismiss Your Doctor’s Breast Cancer Treatment Recommendations?

Recently I heard someone pose this question to one of her friends when they were discussing some manner of treatment and if really started me to think about those who do this. I know that I have questioned the advice and choices of a couple of my doctors in the past but I have always discussed the matter to reach some sort of understanding or resolution to satisfy my inquiry. In one case where there was no such resolution, I asked for a referral to a different specialist and that was the perfect answer. But, I could not justify ever totally disregarding a doctor’s orders. So why would a person do such a thing?

“It seems to me that if a patient has refused to follow the recommendation of her doctor, it should be a standard course of action on the part of the doctor to find out why.”Barbara Jacoby

It seems that this most often occurs when it comes to medications. For some people who are on a fixed income and don’t have prescription coverage, it may be a matter of spending their money on medicine or food or paying the rent. So many medications like the hormone replacement therapy recommended for most breast cancer patients are extremely expensive and even with the recent cuts to costs, some or unless a patient can get some sort of financial support or unless there is a generic alternative, there is no way that this is an option for them. Even when it comes to many over-the-counter medications, they may be outside of a family’s budget if the medication is one that needs to be taken on a daily basis.

Another reason why a person might dismiss a doctor’s order is because of the lack of medical insurance. While the Affordable Care Act was designed to provide an opportunity for every American to have healthcare, the reality is that everyone knows several people personally who are/were not able to afford this coverage even with reduced or subsidized payments and still do not have coverage.

One of these people had to opt for no treatment in order to not destroy what was the little bit of savings that the family did have and would not allow his family to take on a huge debt in order to cover the expenses for the treatment that the doctor had laid out as the only reasonable option. And even then, there was no guarantee that the treatment would work. Therefore, one may choose to pass on the treatment.

Some people are also finding that they are not able to follow their doctor’s orders because of delayed insurance approvals or the lack of coverage regarding particular procedures or tests. For those who are willing to take on the insurance companies and file the necessary paperwork to lay out a case for the recommended tests or procedures, this may be their only option. This can often be a very long and intensive process with no guarantee that the outcome will produce the results for which one is hoping.

I only personally had to submit a challenge, on one occasion, when the insurance company refused payment for a test that was initiated by my doctor and the insurance company sent me a bill for literally several thousands of dollars. However, since the test was done on the breast cancer mass that had been removed from me without my knowledge that this was being done, I was not held responsible. But, by determining the DNA of that cancer, a much less invasive and less costly course of treatment was initiated.

It seems to me that if a patient has refused to follow the recommendation of her doctor, it should be a standard course of action on the part of the doctor to find out why. Working with the patient, an alternative course of treatment might be the answer or if it is a financial matter, the doctor and/or his staff may know of an organization that will be able to assist the patient with her needs.

There are patients who do make a decision to continue life and their work and their keeping the family going until they are past the point of successful treatment because they don’t see any alternative. If we all keep an eye on those who are closest to us, we might be able to help someone find the help and support that they need before they sacrifice their life because they believe they have no options. After all, it is the least we can do to help someone who is important to us.