How do I make the most of my oncology appointments?

The treatments for SCLC can vary from person to person. Christopher Vaughn, MD, Host of Cancer Shop Talk: Behind the Diagnosis with Dr. Vaughn, describe how to get the most out of your oncology appointments.

Transcript

00:00

[MUSIC PLAYING] So the treatments for small cell lung cancer

00:06

can vary greatly from patient to patient. And just researching the disease on your own certainly won't give you the specific information

00:14

you need about how to best take care of yourself. That's why really taking advantage of your oncologist or team of oncologists is so important.

00:22

Sometimes the treatment will require multiple oncologists with different specialties such as medical, surgical, and radiation.

00:29

So depending on which ones you're working with, you'll want to prepare as best as you can for each specific appointment. Now I always recommend patients bring questions

00:37

to our appointments. Some of the great questions to ask and think of are, how do we know if the treatment is working? What can I do to manage side effects from the treatment?

00:45

Are there any symptoms I need to tell you about right away? And how do I reach you at different times, like weekends or holidays?

00:52

But any question you have are fair game. So go ahead and ask. You want to be able to keep your oncologist as informed

00:58

as possible. Knowing your medical history and past and current medication you're on is so critically important. It also helps to keep track of the symptoms and the side

01:06

effects that you're already experiencing. The more complete information they have, the more your doctor can provide measures that will greatly help you and improve your quality of life

01:15

during treatment. Having an oncologist that makes you feel heard and encourage you to be proactive in your treatment goes a long way in making those appointments as

01:23

effective as possible. Finally, don't be afraid to make new appointments, I know right now is in the best time to get out of the house.

01:30

But there are a lot of great resources online for checking in remotely, especially if you just need to bring up new information or ask questions, become

01:38

acquainted with telehealth services, and ask your oncologist if they're available via those resources. They can really make scheduling and keeping

01:45

appointments very simple. [MUSIC PLAYING]