Being a Cancer Treatment Partner

Recently my wife was asked to advise one of our friends about the process of cancer treatment.    As I wrote in my 2011 post about our family's experience with cancer, the treatment involves everyone close to the patient.   Here are Kathy's notes for families of cancer patients, which I post in the hope that they will help others."I promised  to pencil out tips for how you can best serve as a cancer treatment partner.Here is a great resource to read on the general way to help.At the treatment planning visit, you should take notes so the patient can remember things later more clearly. Also, if you have a list of questions the patient specifically wants answered, you can remind her of them if she forgets to ask her doctor.You will want the details of the final staging results, but  have found that it is not useful to focus too hard on longevity curves and results because your individual case will follow its own course. You already take the diagnosis seriously.Confirm the details of the radiation plan.Ask what the side effects are.   Long term risks.Confirm the details of the chemotherapy plan.Do you need a port?Ask what the side effects are of your chemotherapy. Long term risks.Do you need to look at clinical trials?Ask about the specific drugs used for the supportive/palliative part. Palliative is the word to define the pain relief team and elements that relieve any discomfort you have from the tumor or the therapies.Is there anything you should n...
Source: Life as a Healthcare CIO - Category: Information Technology Source Type: blogs