Nation's Top Health Advocacy Experts Offer Free Guide to Getting the Best Cancer Treatment

Many say the cancer recurrence of political opposites, Elizabeth Edwards and Tony Snow, shows cancer is a great equalizer but, in terms of care, that's not necessarily so. Getting the right information on doctors and treatments and accessing appointments can mean the difference between life and death. PinnacleCare, the pioneer in personal health advocacy, shares professional advocacy tips through the just-released PinnacleCare Guide to Getting the Best Cancer Treatment, available free through www.PinnacleCare.com.

Baltimore, MD (PRWeb) March 30, 2007 -- As the news hit of cancer recurrence for Elizabeth Edwards and Tony Snow, many people have tagged cancer as the great equalizer. But, when it comes to treatment, that is not necessarily so.

"To achieve the best possible treatment outcomes, consumers need to be active partners in their cancer care," notes Miles J. Varn, chief medical officer of PinnacleCare. "This is especially true now as molecularly targeted therapies have multiplied the number of treatment options for cancer patients. You need to be more informed than ever to understand your individual cancer, your treatment options and how to access the exact expertise you need."

PinnacleCare, the pioneer in personal health advocacy, has recently published its PinnacleCare Guide to Getting the Best Cancer Treatment to provide proven pathstones for effective individualized cancer care. The clearly-written 48-page guide illuminates the reader's step-by-step path to the right treatment, clarifying myriad options, new advances and key tasks facing cancer patients today. The nation's leader in healthcare advocacy now offers this valuable resource free through its website www.PinnacleCare.com and visiting the site's Resource Center and Reference Room.

The guide is a public service of PinnacleCare, which provides its members dedicated professional health advocates to organize their care, identify top cancer specialists and medical centers, pursue timely appointments, attain expert second opinions and coordinate complementary care for best results. For some families, these tasks are taken on by a non-professional, usually a family member, who is able to dedicate numerous hours to advocate for the patient's cancer care. Through this guide, PinnacleCare seeks to assist these individuals, who must bear both the emotional and logistical aspects of their loved one's care, often with little relevant experience in healthcare management or medicine.

PinnacleCare commissioned cancer survivor, PinnacleCare Member and professional health writer, Fran Pulver, to author the guide. Ms. Pulver is a frequent contributor to Harvard Medical School's Harvard Heart Letter and Better Health for Life. She also co-authored A Guide to Alzheimer's disease, published by Harvard Health Publications. Ms. Pulver writes with particular clarity and compassion on the topic of cancer treatment, drawing from her own cancer experience and her mother's battle with pancreatic cancer. The guide is dedicated to her memory.

Through the website, visitors may also receive Ms. Pulver's previous publication written for PinnacleCare's public service commitment. PinnacleCare Guide to Getting the Best Healthcare details how consumers can proactively partner with their physicians for optimum lifelong health and treatment of illness. To access this guide, visit www.PinnacleCare.com and the site's Resource Center and Reference Room.

PinnacleCare was founded by the innovator of the acclaimed international patient program at Johns Hopkins, John Hutchins. Hutchins created the concept of a professional healthcare advocate dedicated to the individual, not a particular cause or particular organization. Each PinnacleCare Member is assigned a PinnacleCare Advocate (TM) dedicated to understanding the family's full medical history, current conditions and health goals, identifying the best treatment options and physicians and coordinating the entire process of medical and complementary care. Backed by high-level medical supervision, a renowned Medical Advisory Board and an on-site PhD. level research team, Advocates provide Members highly individualized service, unmatched resources and cutting-edge treatment information.

###