Thursday, December 4, 2008

My friend has just been diagnosed with lung cancer? What questions do we ask when we talk to the oncologist


My friend has just been diagnosed with lung cancer? What questions do we ask when we talk to the oncologist?
What type of questions do we ask the oncologist? Never had to do this before.
Cancer - 6 Answers
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1 :
Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong web site has recommendations to ask each type of doctor at each stage of the cancer battle.
2 :
You can go to http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=38494 to develop a customized treatment plan and get good info to take to the doctor with you. "Use these FREE interactive decision support tools to answer the question “What does the clinical information mean to me?� You will receive a personalized treatment options report tailored to your diagnosis. Your report will provide the pros and cons of each treatment, side effects, questions to ask your physician, plus access to relevant summaries of clinical studies. "
3 :
Not sure what country you are from but in general and for the UK in particular.... Please see info at http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Lung It will give ideas on what you need to know about your friends cancer and treatment/s and questions to ask - you can order it as a free booklet also. Also for info and support http://www.roycastle.org/ If you have not met them ask if there is Specialist Nurse (preferably in Lung Cancer) to talk to. Links to these on the Roy Castle Site too. I hope this helps.
4 :
Ask about central line placement. Ask about what type of treatment and specific drug names so that you can look them up and become educated about it. Ask about special diets, for example during treatment the patient will most certainly be on a neutropenic diet. Ask about infection risks specifically pertaining to what will be going on with blood counts and what neutropenia means. Ask about the expected side effects, the possible side effects and the rare unexpected side effects. Ask about what medicines will best treat the side effects. Ask about the use of thc (real mj or the legal synthetic alt marinol.. also ask about natural treatments of the side effects rather than narcotics). Ask about breathing and the use of o2. Ask about things that need to be done around the house what the patient will be expected to need help with. Ask about the negative possibilities and negative prognosis (not really what you want to focus on, but it needs to be known). Get referrals to a psychologist or other medical professional. Ask if their are other local patients that would be willing to talk or meet with you as well as local support groups. Anti depressants may want to be considered especially for the patient and also for some of the family involved. Thats not all, but its a start. If I think of more I will add.
5 :
what do they think that caused the lung cancer? what stage (1 to 4) is the cancer? (Note: This show the seriousness of the cancer, with stage 1 being preliminary and 90% survival rate with 5 yrs, and with stage 4 terminal with about 10% survival rate.) what is the treatment and when - sugery? plus radiation? plus chemo? time off from work and how long?
6 :
What kind of lung cancer do I have? Has my cancer spread beyond the primary site? What is the stage of my cancer and what does that mean in my case? What treatment choices do I have? What do you recommend and why? What is my expected survival rate, based on my cancer as you see it? (not everyone wants to ask the survival rate question) What risks or side effects are there to the treatments you suggest? What are the chances of recurrence of my cancer with these treatment plans? What should I do to be ready for treatment? In addition to these sample questions, be sure to write down some of your own. For instance, you might want more information about recovery times so you can plan your work schedule. Or, you may want to ask about second opinions or about clinical trials for which you may qualify. You may want to ask for forms or a written dx for insurance or work. Be sure to ask about supplements as well... they sure won't tell you about them if you don't ask! You may also wish to keep a copy of each set of blood tests and scan results. You could ask if there is a nutritionist on duty that you can speak to. Altho I would go outside the cancer treatment center for answers on nutrition.



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Posted by lung cancer at 11:43 AM