Your appointment
Your first appointment can feel daunting. You will likely be met by an oncologist or a surgeon and a Clinical Nurse Specialist, all who specialise in your cancer type. They are members of your cancer team or the MDT and will be supporting you throughout your cancer pathway.
You may have a lot of concerns or questions which you are unsure about. Your cancer team are here to support you and answer your questions in a way you understand. This helps you to understand your treatment options, possible side effects and how this may impact on your daily living.
What to expect at your first appointment
At your first appointment you should
- Have an understanding of the type of cancer you have and which body parts it is affecting
- Know a treatment plan on how your cancer can be managed
- Know if your treatment is to cure your cancer, to support other cancer treatments, to prevent the cancer coming back or part of a bigger plan where cancer may be treatable but incurable
- Have some answers to your main questions and know when your next appointment will be
- Have been given the contact details of your Clinical Nurse specialist team who will remain your ongoing support
- Be given some patient information leaflets to read at home
- Know about any clinical trials we have available for your type of cancer
Early diagnosis campaigns, new treatments options and availability of clinical trials have led to increasingly more people living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis.
At the same time, it is important to recognise that the emotional and physical effects of cancer do not stop because you have completed your treatment. Simply put, this means from the point of diagnosis, we will provide you with information such as; - what additional support is available, contact details for your team, side effects of treatment, and how-to re-access the acute service if you have concerns or symptoms of recurrence. We call this personalised care and support
How to make the most of your appointments
Attending an outpatient appointment can be an overwhelming experience. It is often after your appointment that you realise you have forgotten to ask something, didn’t understand what we said or can’t remember an answer. Your cancer team can at times use “jargon” or unfamiliar words. Your appointment may feel quite short making you feel rushed or unable to talk and share what matters most to you.
In order to make the most of your appointments you could try:-
- Writing down questions you want to ask and bring the list with you
- Bring someone with you for support- they may recall information you have missed and can also write down the answers to your questions for you.
- Try not to feel rushed and use your own words
- Let us know about any side effects or concerns you have without playing them down
Ask for explanations in simple terms