Postby betsydoglover » Thu Aug 30, 2018 2:52 pm
One poster listed a great list of possible questions. However, I would caution you against discussing treatment options (beyond surgery), or how your disease might or might not progress, or how treatment would affect your life, or anything else that is not directly related to surgery. Your surgeon may offer opinions on his/her own, but remember a surgeon is not an oncologist, and they aren't in any way experts regarding non-surgical treatment of cancer.
I had surgery prior to any oncologist consult, but that's because I was probably within 2 weeks of a blockage, and we needed to get that tumor out. If that is not your case, then if I were you, I would also consult with an oncologist. But, again, remember that an oncologist is not a surgeon, so they may sometimes deem something "non operable", when in fact it is.
I know none of this makes anything any easier, but when you ask questions, remember what kind of professional you are talking to. Prioritize your surgeon questions so that q's related to surgery, pathology, hospital stay, pain control, recovery are at the top of the list. When it comes to the oncologist talk about treatment options, surveillance options (e.g. types of scans, scan frequency, blood tests etc.), side effects expected, prognosis (if you really want to!). In either case, most good docs end up answering a lot of your questions before you even ask them. And also remember that you can go back and ask another round of q's / make sure you have everything understood.
Take care,
Betsy
diag. Stage IV, 5/05, liver met
lap sigmoid colectomy, 6/05
6 cycles Xeloda/oxaliplatin/Avastin (NED after 2)
11/08 9x13mm right lower lobe lung nodule; removed via VATS 4/09
NED
6 cycles Xeloda + Avastin
Avastin only 10/09-5/11
Still NED 06/18