- Newly published research shows up to 77% of patients in Asia Pacific trust and rely on their physicians to decide their treatment for them despite 69% of physicians encouraging patients to engage in shared decision making1.
- A new term, coined The 3rd Opinion, is designed to spark a social movement that empowers patients to recognize their vital role in shared decision-making, in a region that is disproportionately impacted by lung cancer2.
According
to
newly
published
data
on
NSCLC
patient
preferences
in
Future
Oncology,
up
to
77%
of
patients
in
Asia
Pacific
trust
and
rely
on
their
physicians
to
decide
their
treatment
for
them
despite
69%
of
physicians
encouraging
patients
to
engage
in
shared
decision
making[1].
Cultural
norms
around
stigma,
not
questioning
authority,
and
limited
understanding
of
the
disease
can
often
be
major
barriers
causing
patients
not
to
voice
concerns
or
ask
questions,
even
when
healthcare
professionals
actively
encourage
their
input.
“Being diagnosed with lung cancer is overwhelming. It’s natural for patients to seek clarity, often by pursuing a second opinion, to better understand their condition and treatment options. However, patients often hesitate to express their concerns and treatment goals, causing them to be overlooked in the decision-making process. By creating space for the patient’s own opinion, The 3rd Opinion, creates a new way of thinking about lung cancer treatment and empowers patients to find their voice,” said Anthony Elgamal, Vice President of Oncology, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine Asia Pacific.
Lung
cancer
has
the
highest
incidence
and
mortality
rate
of
all
cancers
worldwide,
with
more
than
2.5
million
people
diagnosed
every
year,
and
Asia
makes
up
63%
of
all
patients[2].
Up
to
85%
of
lung
cancers
are
non-small
cell
lung
cancer
(NSCLC)
and
Asians
are
more
prone
to
certain
genetic
mutations
than
the
rest
of
the
world.
One
of
the
most
prevalent
is
a
mutation
known
as
EGFR
where
30-40%
of
all
NSCLC
diagnoses
are
in
Asia,
compared
to
10-15%
in
the
United
States
and
Europe[3][4][5].
Often
being
diagnosed
at
a
late
stage,
less
than
20%
of
people
with
these
genetic
mutations
survive
beyond
five
years[6],
and
up
to
40%
never
get
the
chance
to
receive
a
subsequent
therapy
after
first-line
treatment.[7][8][9]
“With the disproportionately high prevalence of certain NSCLC mutations in Asia Pacific, we need to think differently about how we treat patients and what more we can achieve with the first treatment. Treatment options have become increasingly complex and clinical decision making should comprehensively consider disease characteristics, patient treatment goals and values, and aim for an individualized balance between survival, longer lasting disease control and side effects. When shared decision making includes all available options, the final decision can be made collaboratively,” said Prof James Chih-Hsin Yang, Director of National Taiwan University Cancer Center and key advocate for The 3rd Opinion initiative.
Mark
Brooke,
Chief
Executive
Officer
of
Lung
Foundation
Australia,
co-author
of
the
Future
Oncology
publication
and
an
advocate
of
The
3rd
Opinion
agreed,
“The
physician
and
patient
dynamic
is
one
of
trust,
but
we
cannot
rely
on
that
alone.
The
consequence
is
a
potential
disconnect
between
the
patient
and
their
healthcare
professional
around
treatment
preferences
and
personal
goals.
For
patients,
they
often
want
more
time
above
all
else
–
to
witness
life’s
milestones,
more
moments
with
loved
ones,
and
more
opportunities
to
simply
live.
Patients
need
to
be
equipped
with
adequate
disease
and
treatment
information,
so
they
can
communicate
what
matters
most
to
them”.
The
3rd
Opinion
will
be
launched
across
multiple
markets
with
educational
resources,
including
a
Lung
Cancer
Book
of
Answers
in
China,
a
patient
empowerment
video
and
various
shared
decision
making
tools
across
Asia
Pacific
to
spark
a
social
movement
that
encourages
patients
to
confidently
articulate
their
personal
goals
for
treatment.
The
creation
of
a
neologism,
like
The
3rd
Opinion,
ensures
shared
decision
making
becomes
accepted
into
clinical
practice
and
in
turn
fosters
an
environment
where
the
doctor’s
expertise
and
the
patient
goals
come
together
to
design
the
best
treatment
plan.
Hashtag: #Johnson&Johnson
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