Obese cancer patients often shorted on chemo doses

About forty percent of all obese cancer patients in the country are receiving shortages in their chemo doses, preventing their cancer from being completely treated. However, many doctors are unaware that they are under-treating these patients when the patients can take more. Many doctors believe that even though the patients are obese, their hearts cannot take the excess amount of chemo. Also, many of these doctors follow a weight-based formula which tells them how much of a dose they give to the patient based on their weight. However, studies have come to show that heavier people clear chemo doses from the body more quickly than thinner people do. In many different cases, patients have explained that they really do not care what has to be done in order to clear the cancer from their bodies, they just want it gone. They have put their trust in their doctors in order to take care of their bodies while destroying the cancer cells, no matter the dose.
In my opinion, I think it is very important for each patient to get a very detailed analysis of what is going on with their body and how it will affect them. I think each patient has a right to know what could happen to their body if they are given a higher dose based on their weight, and what could happen to their body if they are under-treated. Whether a patient want a higher dose of chemo, even if it means putting his or her blood supply in jeopardy, that should be his or her own choice. Each patient has a right to know about every option they have and each patient should be able to choose whatever option they want, regardless of their weight.

http://news.yahoo.com/obese-cancer-patients-often-shorted-chemo-doses-052143430.html