FYI Magazine
How to speak to your doctor after a cancer diagnosis
- Created on Thursday, 15 September 2016 00:00
- Published on Thursday, 15 September 2016 00:00
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Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. Upon receiving such a diagnosis, men and women typically want to learn as much as possible about their disease and what they can do to fight it.
The Internet can be a valuable resource for cancer patients, but the sheer volume of information available online can be difficult to sift through. The best way for cancer patients to learn about their disease is to speak directly to their physicians, who can share their own expertise while also directing patients to places they can find reliable information, both online and in other areas.
Some people find it easy to speak with their physicians, while others may find it more difficult to communicate, especially after a cancer diagnosis. The following tips can help open the channels of communication with your physician so you can learn more about your disease and how to fight it.
- Don't be embarrassed to bring up your concerns. Don't be afraid to ask questions about your disease and its side effects, no matter how inconsequential your concerns may seem. Many cancer patients want to know about the potential side effects of their treatments, and some might be sheepish to ask about side effects that are more personal in nature. But no concern is too small or insignificant to bring up with your doctor, and cancer patients should never feel embarrassed to ask about their disease.
- Be direct. When asking your doctor about your disease, be as direct as possible. Beating around the bush or masking your concerns may only lead to misinformation that won't teach you anything about your disease or address your concerns.
- Ask for specific information about your disease. Cancer is a broad term that does not indicate the type or stage of the cancer. When speaking to your physician about your disease, ask the doctor to be as specific as possible, writing down the type and stage of cancer in your body. If doctors determine the cancer has metastasized, ask for detailed information about where the cancer has spread and the treatments being considered. You can then use this information to learn more about your disease.
- Ask the doctor to recommend resources to help you learn about your disease. A simple search for the words "prostate cancer" on Google turns up more than 21 million results. The Internet is awash in information about cancer and other diseases, and finding up-to-date information you can trust can be akin to finding a needle in a haystack. So ask your doctor to recommend specific resources, be it a website, magazine or even a forum or support group where patients discuss their disease, so you can learn about your disease without getting lost in the jungle of information online.
- Bring a loved one. Learning about your disease, treatment options and prognosis can be overwhelming and emotional, so bring a loved one along for support when speaking to your physician.
Physicians are great resources for cancer patients, who can take several steps to make discussions with their doctors as informative as possible.