| What will happen
during a typical first visit or consultation?
The physicians and other members of your health care team
will obtain a medical history and perform a physical examination.
They will also review the pathology of your cancer by evaluating
the x-rays and laboratory tests. The physician will then recommend
the next steps to further assess your disease. These assessments
will need to be completed before he or she can make specific
treatment recommendations. Once all the tests are completed,
the physician will discuss with you his/her recommendations
with emphasis on expected outcomes. At Continuum Cancer Centers
of New York, we emphasize the multidisciplinary approach.
This means that physicians from medical oncology, radiation
oncology and/or surgery will likely be involved in consultations
and discussions about your case. These discussions will include
a description of the potential benefits and potential risks
of various treatment options.
The physician will give you the opportunity to voice your
concerns and to ask questions. It is important for you to
be prepared for this conversation. Begin to anticipate your
questions well before your appointment, so that you have plenty
of time to consider your concerns and questions. It's a good
idea to write them down, and to bring a pen and paper to the
meeting so that you can take notes. You may want to bring
someone with you, and consider bringing a tape recorder too.
Most physicians will, with permission, allow you to tape record
your consultation for future reference.
If there is a limited amount of time, as there often is,
explore with the physician alternative methods of getting
additional information. Ask the physician to refer you to
any written material, web sites, or other professionals who
could be available to discuss your situation.
You may want to schedule another appointment for further
discussion, or write down your unanswered questions or concerns
which you can then fax or e-mail to your physician. It is
important to remember that each patient and each physician
has his or her own style of communication, therefore it is
best to try and establish what works best for you.
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