It Seems The More We Find Out, The More Questions We Have. Can Too Much Information Be A Problem? Some family members cope well by learning every-thing possible about the cancer and its treatment. However, there is a bewildering amount of information out there—on the Internet, TV, radio, and newspapers—and being bombarded with all of [...]

We recommend many Internet sites, not only for information about the medical aspects of cancer, but also for information about coping with cancer, including the family, emotional, financial, and work-related issues that often accompany the diagnosis. Further-more, chat rooms and other Web site postings can pro-vide useful tips on locating information, finding doctors who treat [...]

There are a number of sources for reliable information as noted here: a. Your doctor(s), including your primary care physician, medical oncologist, surgeon, and other physician specialists should be your primary source of information. b. Nurses and other medical staff members are also knowledgeable and may be able to answer your questions . c. Books [...]

Playing the “hurry up and wait” game— why does it take so long to do a workup or to see the doctor? One of the most common complaints we hear from patients and their caregivers is about waiting. Waiting for test results, waiting to see the doctor, waiting for procedures, and more waiting. Waiting to [...]

what Can We Do To Make Sure This Doesn’t Become A Problem? Linguistic, ethnic, and cultural differences may exist between you and the medical team; these differences may make communication difficult and add to any initial uncertainty you may feel. If you have questions or concerns about these issues, talk to your hospital social worker, [...]

Between Appointments, My Wife And I Think Of Many Important Questions To Ask The Doctor, But When We Finally Get Into The Exam Room, I Get Intimidated And Distracted. How Can I Be More Relaxed And Better Express Myself To The Medical Team? One of the many ways caregivers support patients is by attending appointments [...]

Mark’s comment: When my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer twenty years ago, we knew that there was a really good clinic (hospital) to go to for treatment in our area, so we went there. But my mother interviewed a number of doctors at the clinic until she found one she was comfortable with—the decision [...]

People use different criteria when choosing a physician. Many factors will influence people’s decisions, including the physician’s experience treating cancer and his or her technical skills, the hospital’s location, insurance coverage, and personal factors, such as the physician’s ability to gain trust and confidence (or “bedside manner”). Interview physicians; assess their experience and other criteria [...]

Who are all these people, and what do they do? The healthcare team is composed of different professionals who are specially trained to deal with the medical and emotional issues you are confronting. Become familiar with these people and the ways they can help you. The following is a list of the standard team members [...]

Mark’s comment: I became the primary caregiver for my mother because I was the only relative who lived nearby, and I was also the one who was emotionally closest to her. After I reached adulthood, I had become as much a friend to her as a son. I was also fortunate enough to be self-employed, [...]

A caregiver is someone who helps another person to do things that ordinarily he would be able to do by himself. There are professional caregivers such as nurses and nursing attendants who provide this care as a formal service for pay. Then there are the millions of informal caregivers, including family members and friends, who [...]

Mark’s comment: When I was caring for my mother, and now that I have two friends with cancer, I have made a habit of offering whatever seemed to make sense in the situation. I’ve bought groceries for them, given them rides to different places they might need to go—things like that. I did a lot [...]

You can say the same things you said to them before they had cancer. Don’t be afraid to mention the disease, but attend closely to their responses. This means to listen not only to the words, but also the tone of voice and to observe body language. Some people want to talk about their cancer, [...]

When people hear the word cancer, they think of it as some “thing” in the body: a lump, a mass—the tumor. Look in a medical textbook, however, and you will find cancer defined as an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells—a process. To understand how these two are connected, we first need to understand some [...]

When people hear the word cancer, they think of it as some “thing” in the body: a lump, a mass—the tumor. Look in a medical textbook, however, and you will find cancer defined as an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells—a process. To understand how these two are connected, we first need to understand some [...]