Targeted therapy is not the last option

  At present, many patients, family members and even doctors think that targeted therapy drugs are the last choice. This view is to choose conventional treatment first, and then add targeted therapy as the last hope if the tumor recurs after conventional treatment. In fact, this is a big misunderstanding. The initial treatment of tumor is often the most effective one, which can prolong survival, reduce side effects and improve quality of life. Therefore targeted therapy is often used as the first choice of treatment, and these need to be decided by experienced doctors. Targeted drug therapy is often expensive and takes up a high amount of hospital medical insurance, so some physicians are reluctant to choose targeted drugs, in fact, this practice is contrary to the duty of being a doctor. It is especially important to be transparent about treatment options and to choose the most appropriate treatment option in our national context.