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Treatment Options
Cancer
Helping Yourself
Cancer can affect many aspects of your life. If you are diagnosed with
cancer, the following steps will help you understand your treatment options:
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Make an appointment with a social worker in your hospital or local mental
health clinic for information on groups that provide emotional support,
financial aid, home care, transportation, or rehabilitation to people with
cancer.
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Become involved in a cancer support group in your community.
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Prepare a list of questions for your doctor and ask him or her to answer
them.
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Contact your local American Cancer Society to get a list of the many
services it offers to people with cancer and their families.
You may also want to ask your doctor what you can expect in terms of your:
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quality of life
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long-term expectations
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pain control
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nutrition
You may also want to ask your doctor about the availability and the pros and
cons of clinical trials. A clinical trial is a scientific study where patients
are assigned, usually at random, to receive a standard treatment (or no
treatment at all) or an experimental treatment. Although there is never any
guarantee that the experimental treatment will be as safe or as effective as the
standard treatment, entering a clinical trial may give you the opportunity to
benefit from the latest medical research. Discuss this option with your doctor.
Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.
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