A cancer diagnosis might make you feel completely helpless, but it doesn’t have to. You have the right and the power to make cancer care choices to regain control, improve your quality of life, and positively impact your treatment.
Why Choice Matters in Cancer Treatment
As a patient living with cancer, your thoughts and feelings matter. After all, it is your life. You have the right to evaluate oncologists and determine what cancer treatment is the best option for you. No patient should ever feel as though they do not have a choice or say in how their cancer is treated and by whom.
You Can Choose Where You Get Treated
Patients also have the power of choice regarding where they are treated. Patients do not have to select the doctor, hospital, or cancer center where their primary care doctor refers them. If you choose The Cancer & Hematology Centers, you can request that your primary doctor refer you to our dedicated care team or a specific doctor on our staff. If you want to seek care from somewhere other than the first place your primary care physician recommends, you absolutely can.
How to Choose Your Cancer Care
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, your cancer care choices are just that—yours! Often, people with new diagnoses aren’t sure where to begin. If that’s you, it’s okay. Take time to learn about your options. You are in the driver’s seat of your care, and although it may be overwhelming, you have a voice that needs to be heard.
Learn About Your Treatment Options
You have options when it comes to your care. Even if you have been diagnosed with a rare cancer, there are cancer care choices that you may not know about. Take time to learn what options are available, from cancer treatment centers to clinical trials, and different approaches to treating your cancer.
Not all types of cancers respond to treatments the same way, so it is important to consider that when evaluating your options. Typically, treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of these methods. However, there are many different options within those methods of treatment. You’ll want to talk with your care providers to learn what choices are available to you and which have the best treatment success rates.
Consider Community Oncology Centers
A community oncology center—like The Cancer & Hematology Centers—is situated in the community where its patients live, which often makes them more accessible than hospital treatments. Patients do not have to take on the stress and expense of travel and can begin treatment sooner after diagnosis rather than going through the traditional healthcare system.
Community oncology practices offer their patients more than traditional treatments. Unlike hospitals, community oncology offers holistic, whole-person care personalized to each patient. The care team addresses not only the physical nature of cancer treatment but also the emotional and social effects. Receiving care in a community oncology practice creates a sense of community that provides greater emotional and psychological support than a patient would receive in a hospital.
Additionally, community oncology is up to 50% less expensive than hospital-based treatments. This is because hospitals severely upcharge their services, whereas community oncology practices provide more efficient care with fewer overhead costs.
Ask About a Second Opinion
Second opinions are helpful because they can confirm your original diagnosis to make sure you are on the right track with your treatment plan. Second opinions can provide different perspectives, especially since cancers often need multiple perspectives for treatment. With a second opinion, you will benefit from the knowledge, expertise, and unique viewpoints of multiple specialists.
Talk to the Team
No matter where you go for treatment, your cancer care team will likely involve multiple people. Don’t be afraid to ask to meet and discuss your treatment with the doctors, nurses, and medical assistants who will be caring for you.
Consider Your Whole Self
Cancer is a weighty diagnosis that affects so much more than the physical body. The mental and social toll can be enormous, which is why your cancer care choices should consider what resources are available to help treat your whole person, such as palliative care.
Palliative care exists to help you be more comfortable and navigate your cancer experience, and it can be implemented in your treatment plan at any time. Receiving palliative care does not mean that your cancer is incurable or that you have stopped treatment. It is simply an option to relieve some of the discomfort and burdens of your journey.
Common Challenges When Choosing Treatment
There are several challenges that people face beyond their diagnosis, but The Cancer & Hematology Centers team is equipped to help patients navigate these issues.
Limited Insurance Coverage & Financial Constraints
Ideally, insurance coverage would include all aspects of cancer treatment, but unfortunately, that is not often the case. Limited insurance coverage puts many people who are facing cancer into debt. The Cancer & Hematology Centers has financial coordinators and social workers who can help make sure you’re using all of the benefits available to you to lessen the financial burden.
Lack of Information or Awareness
Because there are so many different types of cancer, it can be difficult to find information about your diagnosis and care choices. Not having information can stymie progress in evaluating options and providers. At The Cancer & Hematology Centers, we work hard to bridge this information gap and help you understand the complete picture of your diagnosis and options.
Emotional Overwhelm
Getting diagnosed with cancer can be frightening and induce anxiety, depression, and other emotional responses. The emotional aspect of cancer can be overwhelming, which makes it difficult to move forward with treatment. That’s why The Cancer & Hematology Centers offers behavioral oncology to its patients. We’re here to support you as a whole person, which includes your emotional and mental health.
Geographic Limitations
Some cancer patients do not have the ability or funds to travel for their cancer treatment, which significantly limits their cancer care choices. A lack of quality cancer care near where someone lives can amplify the mental and emotional stress of a cancer diagnosis. It may be worthwhile to explore financial assistance for cancer care so accessing a treatment center like The Cancer & Hematology Centers becomes more feasible.
Family and Caregiver Support
Not everyone has a large support network, which can make it even more difficult to go through treatment. When patients work with a cancer treatment center like The Cancer & Hematology Centers, they benefit from an entire team of support as well as opportunities to gain support from other people who are going through the same treatment.
Language and Cultural Barriers
Going through cancer treatment is scary by itself, but having language and cultural barriers can increase stress and confusion and make it more difficult to choose the right care. A compassionate cancer care team will offer resources to help navigate language or cultural differences so you fully understand your options and can make truly informed decisions.
Time Constraints and Urgency
Depending on the type of cancer you’ve been diagnosed with, you may have to act urgently to treat it. Suddenly having your life interrupted by needing immediate care can add an extra layer of stress to an already overwhelming situation. Support services can help you process the swiftness with which treatment must occur.
Trust in Their Primary Care Doctor
For some, a lack of trust in their primary care doctor may transfer to a cancer care team, which makes it more difficult for everyone to work through the diagnosis and cancer care process. At The Cancer & Hematology Centers, we want you to feel comfortable and trust your cancer care team. No matter your experience with past medical care, we strive to treat you with compassion and expertise that you can trust.
Complex Healthcare Systems
The healthcare system is not easy to navigate on the best of days. Having resources that can help you understand your cancer care choices is a necessity, not a privilege. Working with a cancer treatment center like The Cancer & Hematology Centers can provide you with the information you need to make sense of the treatment process.
What If You Choose Not to Have Treatment?
When you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, it can often feel as if your wishes are not heard or respected. Some people wish to focus on alternative priorities, but that does not mean that they have given up. If you choose not to move forward with cancer treatments, there are choices you can still make to improve the quality of your life, including palliative care, hospice care, or seeking out a clinical trial.
You’re in Control—We’re Here to Help
If you’re ready to take control of your cancer care choices, we’re here to support you through each step. Contact The Cancer & Hematology Centers to get started. You do not need to have a referring physician to experience the difference our holistic care can make.