When Jose C., a project manager at AT&T, first received a stage IV cancer diagnosis, he and his family felt lost. “There was a lot of uncertainty, a lot of questions, a lot of very tense moments,” Jose said. “We didn’t have anybody on our side that we could contact to help us sit down and explain all this.”
Everything changed when he called Lantern and connected with Claudia, his Oncology Nurse Navigator. Soon, he and his family started referring to Claudia as “our angel.”
Expert Treatment Plan Review Changes Jose’s Course
Jose’s first conversation with Claudia was about his diagnosis and the treatment plan he’d been given. He walked her through the full picture, and she brought that information to Lantern’s clinical team to review. It didn’t take her long to see that something wasn’t right, and she encouraged him to get a second opinion.
It’s a more common crossroads than people realize. Studies estimate that 11% of the most common cancers are misdiagnosed, and that close to 40% of cancer care doesn’t follow the treatment guidelines it should.
“When I had problems with my first oncologist and things were not going well, we took the decision after discussing to go and try the second opinion,” Jose said. “We were kind of afraid of how long that process was going to take.”
Two Hours Later, a New Path Begins
It didn’t take long. They raised their decision to pursue a second opinion with Claudia one morning, and two hours later, she’d already sent word that she had submitted his referral to a new institution. Forty-eight hours after that, Jose got a call to begin the intake process. A week later, he had an appointment with the oncologist now treating him — quick, but not unusual for Lantern, where most members get in to see a specialist within 10 days.
Claudia also looked into the new doctor’s background herself before Jose’s first appointment. “She validated, yes, you’re definitely getting the right type of person, with the right experience,” Jose said. “Just knowing that Lantern has a solid network of doctors and institutions around the oncology area helps you get things done the right way, with people who know exactly what they’re doing.”
What Jose Wants Others to Know
Jose is now almost a year into his care with his new oncologist, and he still checks in with Claudia after every immunotherapy session to go over how it went and what his doctors said. Looking back, he’s clear about what he’d tell someone else facing the same decision.
“If somebody is just starting the journey and has doubts about what Lantern can really do, I’d say don’t think twice,” Jose said. “Share everything you have with your nurse navigator, so she understands exactly what your case is and everything you’ve discussed with your doctor. She may not be part of your doctor’s staff, but she’s a third party who’s willing to help you deal with everything that’s happening, with a lot of resources in her back pocket that you may need at any time.”
For Jose, the second opinion gave him the full picture he’d been missing. “Now we are having a call every time I have an immunotherapy session,” he said. “We go over everything, how the treatment went, how I felt, what the doctors told me. She’s always keeping track of everything that’s happening. At the end, we have peace of mind that we have somebody on our side who’s helping us.”
