Search Results for "proton beam"
Under-reported prostate cancer news: study questions proton beam therapy; NJ clash between evidence & politics
As far as I can tell, Marilynn Marchione of the AP is the only mainstream news media journalist to report that “A study of Medicare records found that men treated with proton beams later had one-third more bowel problems, such as bleeding and blockages, than similar men given conventional radiation.” She reports that results “were […]
11/8/2011“$430 Million Proton Beam Center War” – latest chapter playing out in San Diego
I have written many times on this blog about one shining example of the medical arms race – the slow (some would say not so slow), steady, proliferation of huge and hugely expensive proton beam radiation facilities in medical centers in the US. I have written about how the proliferation never seems to occur in […]
5/9/2011Guest blog: Connect the dots on the Provenges, the Makenas, robotic surgery systems & proton beam facilities
The following is a guest post submitted by Harold DeMonaco, director of the Innovation Support Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital and one of our most active expert story reviewers on HealthNewsReview.org.————————————————————————————————————————Last week’s New England Journal of Medicine had two rather provocative and thought provoking perspectives. The first relates to a decision by the Center […]
3/17/2011Questions about proton beam therapy in health care industry magazine
Anthony J. Montagnolo, executive vice president and chief operating officer at ECRI Institute, writes in Trustee magazine, “A Question of Value: Proton therapy’s benefits have a big price tag. Is it right for your hospital?“ Although this is an article and a publication targeted at directors of hospitals and health care systems, what it says […]
2/7/2011Men’s Health piece on proton beam for prostate cancer
Want to see how journalists could/should report on new technologies? Read Laura Beil’s piece in Men’s Health this month, “The Magic Bullet for Prostate Cancer: The problem is, it’s not magic. And with a price tag of $200 million, it’s the most expensive medical device in the history of the world. Is it worth it?” […]
4 11/16/2010At least one reporter found time for some caution on Mayo's proton beam announcement
Minnesota and Arizona journalists are jumping all over a Mayo Clinic announcement that they’ll begin offering a form of proton beam radiation therapy in Rochester and Scottsdale several years from now. But only one news organization that we’ve seen so far – the St. Paul Pioneer Press – injected any caution into their coverage. Reporter […]
11/10/2010What happens when every hospital wants a proton beam facility?
That’s the question asked by Paul Levy, President and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. I keep bringing up proton beam therapy in my talks to journalists for the same reasons Levy raises in his blog post, “Protons killing cancer and our budget”: “…we see the medical arms race at work again. […]
11/2/2010Proton beam therapy: Another reminder to never rely solely on press releases
This is a guest column by Ivan Oransky, MD, who is executive editor of Reuters Health and blogs at Embargo Watch and Retraction Watch. A press release came across my desk recently. It began: “Proton beam therapy is safe and effective and may be superior to other conventional treatments for Stage I inoperable non-small cell […]
10/21/2010"A world of free lunches" – including payment for IMRT & proton beam for prostate CA
In a New York Times column this week, David Leonhardt reflects on how “any deficit strategy needs to focus on Medicare.” Excerpt: “The treatment of prostate cancer offers a good example of the trouble with the current system. I devoted a column to prostate cancer last year, and the Health Affairs article — by Steven […]
5/27/2010Reasonable report by CBS on pediatric proton beam therapy
There has been so much hype of proton beam therapy – especially for prostate cancer – much of it dismissing any discussion of lack of evidence and soaring costs. Given that backdrop, it was refreshing to see a Sanjay Gupta piece on CBS last night that exercised some restraint in reporting on proton beam therapy […]
4/2/2010Cancer treatment debate asks: is proton beam proliferation outpacing evidence?
In any talk I give to journalists, I encourage them to look into the proliferation of proton beam facilities for cancer therapy. Few have done so with any zeal. The New York Times did a good job. The Columbus Dispatch did not. Journalist Merrill Goozner gives ample food for thought in an article […]
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Problematic PR releases: As evidence lags on proton therapy, hospitals lure patients with anecdotes and high-tech appeals
A recent news release from Michigan’s Beaumont Medical Center shared the story of an 8-year-old girl with a brain tumor who traveled from Hawaii to be treated at the hospital’s proton therapy center. Its heart-warming details include how the girl bonded with her medical team, gave them candy from her home state, and hopped onto […]
12/21/2012Texas-sized Battlefield Breakthrough hype by Dallas radio station – proton & robots
New technologies such as proton beam radiation therapy and robotic surgery clearly offer some potential benefits to some patients (and to some health care providers who purchase these expensive technologies). That is not in question. What we write about on this site are the messages that the public may receive only about potential benefits of […]
8 10/7/2010Illinois' first proton therapy center ready to open – but Illinois' top paper not ready to ask tough questions
A Chicago journalist friend wrote me recently about a story in the Chicago Tribune. The accompanying message read, “This one belongs in the paid ads department.” It was another story singing the praises of proton beam therapy for cancer. It followed almost the exact same formula of a Columbus Dispatch story we wrote about earlier […]
5-Star Friday: Put these gems on your weekend reading list
Journalists as watchdogs. Safeguarding the public’s interests. We need you now more than ever. If only because the medical industrial complex sometimes has a different set of priorities. Different interests. William Mayo, one of the founders of the Mayo Clinic, once said: “The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered.” […]
