How do you counsel patients on TTFields if they have reservations about the aesthetics and inconvenience of the treatment?
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
Honesty is the best policy; we emphasize commitment and diligence. We describe the well-known skin side effects, and describe that they are very manageable. Often, patients report fatigue, but that is a very common and non-specific symptom in patients with GBM. We use visual props and models liberal...
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
This is a frequently asked question about TTF and some patients do have concerns of wearing the device for over 18 hours a day. They are also counselled on shaving their heads and wearing a battery pack. All of these factors play a part in patient’s reservations. It’s important to let th...
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Community Practice
I believe novocure is working on next generation versions of optune, making the battery packs smaller and the transducer pads closer to a normal skin tone, so hopefully this will be less of a problem going forward.
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
I always acknowledge their concerns as the concern about the impact of treatment is a major point of apprehension for patients. I often recommend patients initiate treatment and see how well they tolerate it as most patients find that after the first month, they become quite used to the treatment.