It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when someone learns they have cancer or that their illness has returned. This news may arrive when many patients are still recuperating from surgery to remove or diagnose a tumor. They may now have to decide on other therapy options as well.
It’s critical to remember the following while discussing treatment options:
- Learn about all of your treatment choices.
- Talk to your cancer care team about the specifics of each therapy choice.
- Learn as much as you can and make sure you comprehend the information you receive.
- In making treatment decisions and arranging your care, collaborate with your doctor.
How your cancer treatment options are decided by your medical team?
You may have a limited number of therapy options depending on the type of cancer you have, or you may have several. Your cancer care team will choose which treatments should be provided to you based on recognized treatment recommendations. These therapy recommendations are from a research and are in utilization across the United States. They utilize information about your tumor and your health to help the cancer care team figure out which treatment or therapies are best for your cancer kind and stage. If you want to learn more about treatment recommendations, ask your cancer care team what they use to provide you with treatment options.
The treatment choices available to you may differ from those available to someone else with the same or a comparable form of cancer. This is due to the fact that certain tumors have subtypes and characteristics that may necessitate various treatment options. Breast cancer, for example, has numerous distinct kinds and subtypes, as well as many methods of describing it. Some people have unique characteristics that influence their treatment and prognosis. Other health concerns, for example, might inform the cancer treatment team about which alternatives are likely to work best.
In general, these things will determine the therapy choices available to you:
- Cancer’s kind
- Cancer’s progression
- Other tests that might be performed on the tumor to learn more about it (for example, biomarkers or hormone receptors)
- Other tests that may be required to provide more information (for example, blood tests, x-rays or other image tests, or genetic testing)
- Your general well-being
- Any additional medical issues you may be experiencing
- Your individual tastes
The following are some of the most frequent cancer treatments:
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy is a type of treatment that uses a
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy is a type of treatment that uses hormones to
- Therapy that is specific to the patient
- Immunotherapy
- Transplantation of stem cells or bone marrow
Clinical trials are sometimes a therapeutic option. A clinical trial is a type of research study that involves putting therapies to the test on real individuals. These are sometimes brand-new therapies that are under research for the first time. A clinical trial may test a treatment that has a previous authorization for one form of cancer on a different type of cancer. Some clinical studies may examine a novel therapy combination. Find out if a clinical trial for your kind and stage of cancer is available by speaking with your cancer care team.
There are many alternative possibilities for helping someone with cancer, such as:
Palliative care may assist anyone suffering from a severe disease such as cancer. Its mission is to improve quality of life by addressing symptoms, side effects, and other issues. It can be provided at any time after a diagnosis, during treatment, and until death.
Hospice care is compassionate care provided to patients in the final stages of incurable diseases, such as advanced cancer, in order to enable them to live as completely and pleasantly as possible.
Discussing your choices
You will meet with your doctor to discuss treatment choices at some time. The timing of this conversation determines by how soon your cancer care team believes you should begin treatment. It might also be determined by the time it takes for test results to be returned.
While you’re waiting for further information,
At first, you may only be able to have a basic discussion about therapy choices. This might happen if your doctor is unaware of the specifics of your cancer. Maybe the doctor doesn’t have enough information or the test results haven’t arrived yet. If you’re awaiting test results and don’t know what your specific treatment choices are:
- What kind of cancer am I suffering from? When will you find out if you don’t already know?
- Do I have a specific cancer subtype, or are tests useful in determining this?
- What tests are being performed on my tumour to help you learn more about it?
- What stage of cancer am I in? When will you find out if you don’t already know?
- Is there anything more I should’ve done?
- When will you be able to tell me what therapies you can provide?
Finding out about your choices
When the specifics of your cancer are understood, your doctor will discuss the various treatment choices with you. Other cancer care team members, such as nurses, pharmacists, and others, may be engaged in discussing with you and teaching you about your treatment options. Here are some questions you might wish to ask regarding the choices you’ve been presented with:
- How did you get to the conclusion that these therapeutic choices should be made available to me?
- Do you have any guidelines that you use to determine which therapies should be provided to me? Is there a website or other location where I may learn more about the guidelines?
- Should I be concerned about any of these treatments because of my existing health issues?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment you’re providing?
- Is there a particular therapy that you recommend? Why do you think that is?
- Is there a clinical study that I can participate in? Is it appropriate for me, if so? What resources can I use to learn more?
- Is it necessary for me to get a second opinion?
- When should you begin treatment?
Inquire about any additional personal issues you may have. If you have religious or spiritual beliefs or practices, or dietary limitations, for example, be careful to discuss them. It’s a good idea to inquire about how they could impact the therapies. You can find out where to obtain support if you’re worried about getting to treatment. Bring this utensil if you’re having difficulties taking care of yourself at home.
Conducting independent research
Your cancer care team will educate you on the many treatment choices available to you. However, there is a wealth of information regarding cancer therapies accessible from a variety of different sources. There is also a great deal of misinformation available. You may learn more by searching the internet, chatting to relatives and friends, attending a support group, or even watching television. It’s critical to be cautious about where you receive your information. Pay attention to who is sponsoring the website or ad, or who is providing the information you discover or hear.
Keep in mind the following crucial details:
Your cancer care team and doctor are the ideal people to ask about your situation. As you come up with new questions, write them down. Ask your cancer care team any and all questions you have. Make a list of the responses you get.
Inquire with your cancer care team about where you can get reliable, honest, and accurate information about the treatment choices you’re considering. Bring any information you’ve discovered and ask whether it’s correct and if you should trust it if you’ve already begun asking and looking on your own.
When you meet with your doctor and cancer care team, consider bringing a family member or a friend with you. This will help you remember what questions to ask and what answers to provide, and it will also help you remember what questions to ask and what answers are given.
Learning everything you can about your cancer and the treatment choices available to you will help you make the best decision for you and one that you’ll be happy with.
Choosing a treatment option
After all, information has been given to you and you’ve had time to ask questions and have them answered, you’ll be able to make the best treatment option for your circumstances. This is known as informed consent, and it allows individuals to take an active part in making health-related decisions.
Because certain forms of cancer have a small number of therapy choices, deciding which is best may not be difficult. It’s also possible that therapy is required. It’s also likely that therapy may need to begin right away, so you won’t have as much time to decide as you’d want. However, in many situations, getting a second opinion before making a choice might be beneficial. Ask if there is time to get one, and remember that you have the right to a second opinion.
Decision-making as a group
Shared decision-making is a method of making healthcare decisions with you rather than having someone else make them for you. Doctors and other members of the patient’s health care team collaborate with you and your family or carers to make decisions together in shared decision-making. The procedure entails back-and-forth information exchange.
When there are several doctors, experts, or caregivers engaged in assisting a patient to make decisions, shared decision-making can be difficult. Getting everyone’s input isn’t always simple, and it might require some effort and reminders to keep information flowing smoothly.
If you’re unsure whether or not you want to receive therapy,
When a person is diagnosed with cancer, not everyone chooses to seek therapy or be treated immediately away. It’s always a decision, but be sure you know why you’re considering not seeking therapy. The amount of information you’ve been given is likely to make you feel nervous and overwhelmed. Make sure you obtain answers to all of your questions so you know what will happen if you get cancer treatment and what will happen if you don’t.
Some people believe that cancer therapy is more harmful than the disease itself. It might be difficult to go through cancer treatment, yet failing to do so allows some forms of cancer to spread uncontrolled. Depending on the situation,
When a choice has been made,
- Even after you’ve learned everything there is to know about your treatment choices and made your decision, it’s critical to stay in touch with your cancer care team when questions arise. Here are a few things to consider:
- Before you start the therapy, make sure you ask any particular questions you have about it. Even if you’ve asked the same questions previously, receiving the answers again may make you feel better.
- Ask your cancer care team to explain anything to you if you don’t understand something.
- If you forget anything, don’t be afraid to inquire about it again.
- As you think of questions, bring them up at each therapy appointment.
- Be prepared for negative consequences. Each form of therapy has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
- Inquire with your cancer care team about how the information will be shared with other members of your health care team, such as your surgeon, radiation oncologist, family doctor, and any other experts engaged in your treatment.
- Find out how to contact your cancer care team in the most efficient way possible. On weekdays and weekends, you should know the phone numbers to contact. Also, inquire about how to contact you in the event of an emergency. You may also have access to an online patient portal where you may send messages and search for information about your treatment.
