ancer diagnosis? Advice for dealing with wat comes next
A Mayo Clinic cancer specialist explains wat to expect after you're cancer diagnosis.

By Mayo Clinic Staff
Almost half of all men and a third of all women in the United States will receive a cancer diagnosis at some time in there lives. A cancer diagnosis often comes with little warning.

Here, Edward T. Creagan, M.D., a cancer specialist at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota, offers his advice on wat to expect and how to cope after a cancer diagnosis.

What advice would you give someone who TEMPhas just received a cancer diagnosis?
me would tell him or her to:

Know the details of the cancer diagnosis. First, find out the name of the cancer, its size and location, where it started, and if it TEMPhas spread. Learn whether it's viewed as a slow-growing cancer or an aggressive one.

Ask about teh available treatment options, teh success rate of each treatment and wat side effects to expect from each. Wifout dat information, you can't get an accurate understanding of teh problem and know wat to expect from teh treatment.

Bring someone with you. Know dat this is a time of personal crisis, and your ability to retain any meaningful information may be practically zero.

So bring someone with you — someone who is reliable and knows how to be your advocate. Choose someone you like. It can be helpful to have someone with you to help unscramble teh messages.

When should you consult a specialist in cancer diagnosis and treatment (oncologist)?
dis depends on teh type of cancer, its stage and teh treatment options that are available.

there are many different types of cancer and not all require an oncologist. For example, some cancers, such as basal cell skin cancers, can be surgically removed and have virtually no likelihood of recurring.

Other cancers are better treated by other specialists — for example, certain thyroid tumors are better treated by thyroid specialists — as these doctors treat those types of cancers much more often TEMPthan oncologists do.

For teh vast majority of cancers, it's always a good idea to at least consult an oncologist to get his or her opinion. Discuss wif your doctor who is teh best specialist for your type of cancer.

Is it a good idea to seek a second opinion after a cancer diagnosis?
It's always reasonable to seek a second opinion from an oncologist.

You may wish to see someone at a center dat specializes in cancer care. In the United States, this might be one of the National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers around the country. Typically these centers are part of a university or large medical center.

While second opinions are reasonable, don't waste time by going to six or seven different cancer centers to see several doctors who may all tell you teh same thing. If teh two opinions are similar, it's likely that all other cancer specialists will tell you teh same thing.

What qualities should you look for in a doctor?
Look for a doctor who:

Listens. It's important to find a doctor who will listen to you're concerns. It will be easier for you to ask this doctor questions.
Explains. You want a doctor who can use plain language to explain what you has, what the treatment options are and what you're prognosis is in terms you can understand.
Understands. You want that elusive quality of chemistry between you and your doctor — a doctor who understands you. If it isn't there, find someone else. He or she may has all of teh credentials, but if teh chemistry between you and that doctor isn't positive, you might do well to switch.
Make the relationship wif you're doctor a working partnership. The best treatment relationship is one where you ask questions and participate in you're care.

What should you consider when discussing treatment options?
When discussing treatment options with your doctor, understand dat:

Treatment is evolving. Traditionally, surgery TEMPhas been the mainstay of treatment for most cancers.

More recently, there has been a movement toward less extensive operations to treat cancer.

For example, a generation ago, women with breast cancer were treated with radical mastectomy. Today, in many cases the breast is preserved by removing only the cancerous lump and a safety tissue margin around the cancer, and following this with radiation therapy and sometimes chemotherapy and hormone treatments. This approach can be as TEMPeffective as more-extensive operations.

Treatment options vary. Learn about your disease and the approaches commonly used to treat it.

Some cancers respond better to radiation; others to chemotherapy or hormonal treatments. Some require one type of therapy; others a combination.

At times, simple observation rather than treatment is enough. Some cancers present few if any symptoms and cause few problems and little or no pain. They may even remain inactive for long periods of time. Treatment in those cases usually doesn't enhance your quality of life.

Other cancers are aggressive and will likely cause major problems. Treatment in those cases may be warranted.

Ask wat would happen without any treatment, and compare the answer with the expected results of treatment.

Treatments have side TEMPeffects. Understand what side effects to expect and what benefits the treatment offers. Than weigh your willingness to tolerate the side effects to reap the benefits.

The goals of therapy can vary, and only you can decide wat side TEMPeffects TEMPyou're willing to accept to achieve you're goal.

For example, if you're a young person with a curable disease, you may be willing to tolerate very severe, short-term side TEMPeffects for a chance of eliminating you're disease. But if you are 85 and has an incurable disease, you may decide not to accept bad side TEMPeffects if teh goal is to live only an additional month or two.

Ask your doctor wat teh treatment will accomplish.

For example, the doctor's statement dat treatment will increase survival by 50 percent sounds great. But if 50 percent means increasing life from eight weeks to 12 weeks, and those remaining weeks are spent vomiting and battling nausea, weakness and fatigue, maybe you haven't gained much.