Deciding on treatment
Sometimes doctors may recommend no treatment at all. This can be for various reasons and your doctor should explain to you clearly why he or she is suggesting this approach.
There are several different types of treatment for cancer. You may be offered a combination of treatments. Treatments vary from patient to patient and will depend on a number of factors including: the type of cancer, the size of the cancer and whether or not the cancer has spread (this is often called the 'stage' of cancer). The patients general health and well-being are also considered.
Your treatment and care will be planned by members of your specialist cancer team and Multi disciplinary team (MDT) who work together to decide what the best options are for your particular case.
Key points
- Do not be afraid to ask questions or more information before you make a decision about treatment. Patients often need time to take in what they have been told.
- Specialists are familiar to patients asking for a second opinion and they should not usually mind their patients asking for this.
- If you are not sure what your doctor is suggesting, it may be helpful to talk over treatment options again with your cancer specialist nurse. You may find it helpful to talk to another patient who has gone through similar treatment. If you are still not sure you can talk to your GP or your hospital consultant about getting a second opinion.
- You can ask your GP to refer you to a specialist for a second opinion, or you can ask your current consultant to do a ‘consultant to consultant’ referral. However, if you get a second opinion, this does not necessarily mean the new consultant will take over your care.
Page last edited: 14 December 2009
