Dr. John Oertle of Envita Medical Centers Shares Insights About Changes in Oncology with Becker's Healthcare
Despite the advancements in healthcare, cancer continues to be the second leading cause of death in the United States. To improve outcomes of patients dealing with this life-threatening disease, Dr. John Oertle, Chief Medical Director and Cancer Specialist at Envita Medical Centers, said, “Given a magic wand, I would want to replace these outdated one-size-fits-all treatment protocols and their reliance on big pharma industries alone, to utilize the latest in personalized precision integrative oncology for helping not just early-stage cancer patients, but late-stage patients as well.”
In an article published by Becker's Healthcare on “3 ways cancer care needs to change, per 8 leaders,” Dr. Oertle underscored the importance of personalized precision integrative oncology approach. He explained that their team at Envita Medical Centers has been utilizing this innovative approach based on advanced genomics, to offer care going beyond conventional chemotherapy, radiation, and invasive surgeries. Envita's team of specially trained physicians tailor protocols for each individual patient to not just powerfully attack the cancerous cells, but to bolster the patient's immune system in hopes of achieving lasting outcomes.
“In our clinical experience, we find that over 90% of cancer patients were receiving the wrong medications as part of their earlier treatment protocols, because they did not have access to the latest genomic tests, immunotherapies, and targeted precision care,” said Dr. Oertle. He wants every patient to access this level of personalized care, as it has the potential to improve outcomes. With their cutting-edge treatment approach, the Envita team has been able to help numerous cancer patients, many of whom were left with hardly any treatment options at other notable cancer care facilities of the country.
Access to care, eliminating disparities, and expanding quality care emerged as the top three things leaders wanted changed about cancer care. Read this article to understand the need for these changes and how they can make a difference to the lives of countless patients and their family members.
* The 3rd party actuarial response data is based on an analysis 87 out of 129 patients that participated in Envita's Treatment Program in 2020. 42 patients were removed from the cohort due to the patients' inability to start or complete Envita's prescribed treatment for a variety of reasons, including advanced disease state, disease progression or inability to travel.
