An oncologist caring for patients in and around Wichita and Great Bend, Kansas, Dr. Mark Fesen underwent fellowship training in medical oncology through the National Cancer Institute. Leukemia is among the many cancers Dr. Mark Fesen treats. Leukemia is an umbrella term that encompasses cancers originating in blood cells, including the white and red blood cells and the platelets. For 2017, experts expect more than 62,000 Americans to receive a leukemia diagnosis. Presently, nearly 364,000 people in the United States live with leukemia or have had leukemia. In terms of frequency, leukemia ranks ninth in the country, just under kidney cancer and just above endometrial cancer. However, leukemia is more deadly than either endometrial or kidney cancer in that it’s expected to kill more than 24,000 patients in 2017. The other two cancers combined are expected to kill about that many Americans in the same year. Data indicates that though the rate of new leukemia cases has increased in the past decade, death rates have decreased and five-year survival rates have increased.
A graduate of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Dr. Mark Fesen works as a medical oncologist at Central Care in Kansas. In order to keep up with the latest trends in oncological medicine, Dr. Mark Fesen maintains membership in the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).In order to encourage more effective and patient-centered dialogue in oncological care, ASCO recently released a new guideline that gives providers a baseline standard of best practices for use when talking with patients and other family members involved in their care. ASCO believes this guidance will help to improve doctor-patient relationships while helping patients to feel better informed about the care they are getting. According to the guideline, institutions should implement a communications curriculum for oncologists of all experience levels that includes role play, in order to help them empathize with patients. The guideline also calls for clear dialogue between doctor and patient on the specific goals of care, as well as the prognosis for different types of treatment. Furthermore, doctors should do everything they can to encourage patients to take an active role in their care by inviting questions and working with them in a collaborative decision-making process. Other important information is found in the guideline, which can be accessed at asco.org.
