FIGHTING CANCER: TALKING WITH YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT CANCER
Author: admin
Anytime the presence of cancer is suspected, the person involved is likely to react with great anxiety, fear, and anger. Emotional distress is sometimes so intense that the person is unable to serve as his or her own best advocate in making critical health care decisions. If you find it difficult to know what to ask your doctor on a routine exam, imagine how hard it would be to discuss life or death options for yourself or a loved one. Having a list of important questions to ask when you appear at the doctor’s office may help tremendously. Remember, your health care provider should be your partner in making the best decisions for you. By actively challenging, questioning, and letting the physician know your wishes, difficult decisions may become easier.
If the diagnosis is cancer, you may want to ask these questions:
- What kind of cancer do I have? What stage is it in? Based on my age and stage, what type of prognosis do I have?
- What are my treatment choices? Which do you recommend? Why?
- What are the expected benefits of each kind of treatment?
- What are the long- and short-term risks and possible side effects?
- Would a clinical trial be appropriate for me? (Clinical trials are research studies designed to answer specific questions and to find better ways to prevent or treat cancer. Often new cancer-fighting treatments are used.)
If surgery is recommended, you may want to ask these questions:
- What kind of operation will it be, and how long will it take? What form of anesthesia will be used? How many similar procedures has this surgeon done in the past month? What is his or her success rate?
- How will I feel after surgery? If I have pain, how will you help me?
- Where will the scars be? What will they look like? Will they cause disability?
- Will I have any activity limitations after surgery? What kind of physical therapy, if any, will I have? When will I get back to normal activities?
If radiation is recommended, you may want to ask these questions:
- Why do you think this treatment is better than my other options?
- How long will I need to have treatments, and what will the side effects be in the short and long term? What body organs or systems may be damaged?
- What can I do to take care of myself during therapy? Are there services available to help me?
- What is the long-term prognosis for people of my age with my type of cancer who are using this treatment?
If chemotherapy is recommended, you may want to ask these questions:
- Why do you think this treatment is better than my other options?
- Which drug combinations pose the fewest risks and most benefits?
- What are the short- and long-term side effects on my body?
- What are my options?
Before beginning any form of cancer therapy, it is imperative that you be a vigilant and vocal consumer. Read and seek information from cancer support groups. Check the skills of your surgeon, your radiation therapist, and your doctor in terms of clinical work and interpersonal interactions. The time spent asking these questions and seeking information is well worth the effort.
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