Ask CancerCare

A. There is a great deal of information about cancer and cancer treatments, especially online. The challenges are how to find and evaluate information to make sure it is reliable, up to date, trustworthy and applicable to your particular diagnosis and situation. One place to start is The National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service (CIS). You can contact a CIS information specialist online through a LiveHelp option; or by calling 1-800-4-CANCER.

To guide you in finding appropriate information on the Internet, keep these questions in mind:

• What is the purpose of the website? Is it educational or commercial—that is, is the site trying to sell you a product or service?
• What is the source of the information?
• Is the information evidence-based—that is, derived from scientific research?
• Does the website provide contact information for individuals who are responsible for its content?
• Are the links relevant and appropriate for the site?

Once you find information, the next challenge is how to make sense of it. Ultimately, your doctor and health care team are best able to help you interpret information. Identify someone on the health care team you are comfortable talking to. Then:

• Write down your questions before your doctor visit
• Ask questions if you don't understand what the doctor says
• Take notes and if possible, bring someone with you who can assist you

Interpreting medical tests requires that you consult with your health care team. Make sure you ask for copies of lab tests, biopsy results, X-Rays, ultrasounds, CAT and PET scans or MRIs. Schedule time with your doctor and health care team to review all test results, and their implications for your treatment and care.

CancerCare has a number of publications that offer practical tips in getting information that you can order free of charge or download directly from our website:

• If You Have Just Been Diagnosed...
• Doctor Can We Talk? Tips for Communicating with Your Health Care Team
• Don't Be Afraid of Clinical Trials: They Could Improve the Quality of Your Care
• Coping with Cancer: Tools to Help You Live

You can also talk directly to one of our professional oncology social workers by calling 1-800-813-HOPE (4673); or email info@cancercare.org.

A. This is such a great question and one that is frequently asked by people living with cancer and their caregivers. When you are diagnosed with cancer, you enter a world that is unfamiliar to you—with its own language, including medical terms and jargon. You often see not only one doctor, but a team of health care professionals, who speak to you using different medical terms and phrases.

These two resources will help you find simple explanations for complex medical terms and procedures.

• The National Cancer Institute's online glossary

• MD Anderson Cancer Center's online glossary

Knowledge is a powerful tool to cope with cancer. In addition to using the glossaries suggested, there is no substitute for scheduling time to speak with your medical oncologist and health care team. Whenever your doctor uses a term that you don't understand, be sure to ask what the word means. It is okay to say to your doctor: "I don't know what that word means. Could you please explain to me?"

Asking questions regularly will help you better understand medical terms and their implications for your cancer and its treatments. Educate yourself by asking questions whenever you don't understand something.

Contact your health care team when you have a question. They are the best source of consistent information for you. Most importantly, do not wait until your next scheduled appointment to ask a question. Call your health care team when you have a question so that you get the answers you need.

CancerCare's fact sheet, "Your Health Care Team: Your Doctor is Only The Beginning", describes the health care professionals on your team and how they can help you.