Page 50 - LIVESTRONG Digital Guidebook
P. 50

Learning About Cancer
Treatment Options

Learn as much as you can about your type of cancer and treatment options. Start with information you
get from your health care team and the opinions you get from other health care providers.

               “You have to be informed. You are playing with your life and have to be the one
                who takes charge of your own outcome—so you have to educate yourself.“ —CHRIS C.

Cancer treatments can include one or more                 Ask for help if you do not understand the NCCN guide-
of the following treatment options:                       lines. Your provider should be familiar with these.

    •	 Chemotherapy                                           If your provider suggests a treatment method
    •	Radiation therapy                                   that is not the same as the NCCN guidelines, ask him
    •	Biological therapy that works with the              or her to discuss the reasons with you. Tell him or her
     immune system                                        about your concerns.
    •	 Surgery
    •	Hormone therapy                                         Loved ones, friends and other health care team
    •	Treatment to manage pain                            members may also share information. You can con-
    •	Stem cell transplant                                tact nonprofit cancer organizations for information
    •	Clinical trials                                     about treating your type of cancer.
    •	Treatment to control swelling
     (such as lymphedema)                                     When you start working together, tell your
    •	Complementary and alternative                       health care provider how much you want to know
     medicine (CAM)                                       about your type and stage of cancer. For example,
                                                          you may or may not want to discuss life expectancy
RESEARCHING OPTIONS                                       statistics. Discuss the treatment that the provider
                                                          recommends for your situation. He or she will want
Schedule a meeting with your provider to discuss          to know what you think about each option.
what he or she thinks may be the best treatment
option for your situation. Before this meeting,               Consider your own preferences for cancer treat-
research information about treatment methods rec-         ment. Find out if there is another option if a treat-
ommended for your type and stage of cancer.               ment method has serious side effects. You may
                                                          want to ask your health care provider if you can talk
    Learn about current recommendations for               with another patient who has already completed
treating your type of cancer. Use reliable, high-         the treatment recommended for you. It can be very
quality resources such as the online information          helpful if that person was diagnosed with the same
from the National Comprehensive Cancer Net-               type and stage of cancer as you.
work (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in
Oncology (nccn.org).                                      DEVELOP A TREATMENT PLAN

    Write down questions and concerns to share with       Work with your health care provider to develop your
your provider. For example, you may be concerned          cancer treatment plan. There are benefits and risks
about certain side effects such as hair loss or fatigue.  involved with any testing or treatment. Talk to your
                                                          provider about both. You will be asked to read and

50 L I V E S T R O N G G U I D E B O O K                  www.LIVESTRONG.org/WeCanHelp




















































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