It is important to speak to your regular oncologist/hematologist at the beginning of your diagnosis as to when you should start to research and begin to set up appointments with other specialists besides him/herself to keep the progression of your treatment on track. Ask your current oncologist to help you to research other specialists in your area and health plan that would be of benefit to you and who will work with the already existing chemo plan you have in place.
Who to see?...... Besides your regular oncologist/hematologist, who will follow your chemotherapy treatments, regular blood work and office visits, there are also 4 other forms of oncologists who may be factors and partners in your treatment: Radiation Oncologists, Surgical Oncologists, Gynecological Oncologists and Pediatric Oncologists.
What help will these specialists be to me in my ultimate quest to be free of cancer?
- A Radiation Oncologists is a physician who specializes in treating cancer though radiation therapies and methods. Radiation Oncologists investigate the use of x-rays, electrons and gamma rays to destroy cancer. Radiation therapy is used on most types of cancers including breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, brain tumors, some sarcomas and others.
- Surgical Oncologists are surgeons who specialize in the surgical removal of cancerous tumors. Surgical Oncologists do not train as an internist, like most other oncologists. A surgical oncologists is a general surgeon who does additional training in oncology and removal of tumors.
- A Gyn/Onc specializes in diagnosis and treatment of cancers of the female reproductive system, including ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer and more. Gynecological oncologists are doctors who trained in OB/Gyn and then choose to sub-specialize in oncology, by completing additional fellowship training.
- Pediatric Oncologists specialize in diagnosing and treating individuals under the age of 18 years of age who are suffering from cancer.
And when would be the best time for me to see these specialists? Depending on the type of cancer you are diagnosed will depend on when and what specialists you will need to see. For example, Andrew had Ewing's Sarcoma in his left hip. The protocol was to start chemotherapy for 4 rounds and then take a break to either have radiation treatment or surgery to remove the tumor and then to continue with about 8 to 10 more months of chemotherapy treatment. Since this protocol was very specific, it was important that after feeling comfortable with a Ewing's specialists, we began to immediately meet with Radiation and Surgical Oncologists to talk about Andrew's options, risks and possible outcomes from each of the options.
As a whole, it is important to get more than one opinion for any answer you are given to make sure you are doing what is right for you and what you feel most comfortable. But it is also important to keep a balance as well. Too many opinions can make you even more confused. Andrew and I (along with his family) saw at least 4 doctors in each of the respected fields. After all of the data was collected, we decided to choose radiation since the outcome results and further risks of cancers were no better than the surgical option, which would have left Andrew with a shorter left limb and other disabilities that would be unlikely reversible.
No matter what you choose it is important to be open-minded and to listen and take notes on all options presented to you. Also ask each doctor the same questions so that you have equal information to work with when you make your decision. A few questions that may be helpful to ask each doctor to explain:
- the cancer diagnosis and its stage
- discuss the treatment and the treatment options available to you
- how they will be delivering the care of the treatment to you, ie, techs, nurses, staff, etc you will be dealing with
- who will be the point of contact if you have more questions
- what the side effects of the treatment will be
- why do they recommend their way of treatment instead of another avenue of treatment
- what is the expected timeline of treatment
- what is the expected recovery time (if any)
- what are the short term and long term effects of the treatment
- ask about your ability for reproduction (if applicable)
- and how much experience they have treating this type of cancer with this sort of treatment they are recommending.
Good luck, stay calm, be alert and take good notes and you will be able to make an informed decision that will serve you in the best way as you continue through treatment.
Raising Awareness for Rare Diseases ........
