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How the best treatment decisions are made.
Anyone who has fought prostate cancer will tell you that a diagnosis is the first step in a long, winding road full of complex decisions. And while it is understandable for patients to want their doctor to carve out a simple, clear course of action – one referral, one treatment, one path to a cure – there are no absolutes in cancer treatment, and there are good reasons to consider all of the options.
ASK FOR A SECOND OPINION
According to the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) guide “How to Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility if You Have Cancer,” a second opinion can confirm or suggest modifications to a proposed treatment plan and provide reassurance that all options have been explored. Oncology experts agree that depending on the stage of a patient’s cancer, there often is more than one treatment option available. Seeking information about those options from multiple sources will help patients make the most informed decision.
SEEK OUT “BEST PRACTICES”
In medicine, “standard of care” — also known as “best practice” — is treatment that experts agree is appropriate, accepted and widely used. Health care providers are obligated to provide patients with the standard of care. Treatment for prostate cancer includes surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and watchful waiting.
Talk to all of the specialists involved in the care — the surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and the primary care physician — to determine the best treatment path.
DON’T SIDELINE SIDE EFFECTS
Most cancer treatments are not without side effects, whether temporary or permanent, so patients should find out everything they can about how certain treatments might impact them in both the short and long term. And while it may seem like a lot to ask a person newly diagnosed with cancer to spend time researching all of the available treatment options, most patients feel better about their treatment plan — and have more confidence in their ability to battle the disease — when they’ve done their homework and have had a hand in their treatment decisions.
For more information, visit the National Cancer Institutes (NCI) Web site at www.nci.org.
Article provided by Beaufort Memorial Hospital.
