Family support is an important part of your cancer care, and when a recommended chemo or radiation regimen is one that you can have close to home, many oncologists will suggest having it done at a cancer center close to your family and support network.   Chemo and radiation can require frequent trips to the hospital (sometimes as many as 3-5 appointments per week).  In addition these treatments can sometimes be tiring.  Family and friend support can be helpful and sometimes critical.  This includes everything from rides to the hospital to verbal encouragement.  When getting a second opinion at a major cancer center far away from home, ask the oncologist if the recommended chemo or radiation regimen is the same or similar to what you can get closer to home.  Most importantly, consider the importance of your support network.

Blog Highlights:

• This video provides patients with the chance to see what actually

• happens during the course of radiation treatment
• On a daily bases there is no pain or discomfort with the treatment
• Treatment course can extend anywhere from 2-8 weeks
• Side effects are highly dependent on the region of the body being treated and the total dose

Radiation treatments are used in the majority of patients with cancer, and yet most patients have little idea of what to expect. This video is helpful in showing what happens during the course of a single radiation treatment. Some take home messages include that the technology has become relatively sophisticated, that the treatment has to be precisely delivered to one defined area of the body, and that on a daily bases there is no pain or discomfort with the treatment.

Prior to this patient’s treatments, a series of events had already taken place. You can see in the video that the patient’s head is immobilized by plastic mask that is fastened onto the table. The purpose of this and other forms of immobilization is to assure that the carefully planned treatment is able to be reproduced each day when the patient comes for their daily treatment. Treatment course can extend anywhere from 2-8 weeks and the ability of the treatment to hit its target is highly dependent on the ability to precisely reproduce the position of the patient each day. Also prior to the treatment, a CAT scan of the patient while he was immobilized in his mask was obtained. This information is transferred to treatment planning computers and the doctor outlines the targeted region and the normal tissues to avoid. Working with his team, the doctor then helps determine the optimal angle of beam entrance and exit and the shape and intensity of each field. In the video, four fields were used: one from the front, one from the back and one from each side. These four beams will have a mutual intersection point at the targeted region where the addition from each beam will result in a selectively high dose to this region. Within the treatment head of the machine are a collimation system that can shape the beam edges into almost any shape which further adds to the precision of the dose delivery.

Radiation treatments are a scary endeavor for any patient and the treatment can cause some side effects that are highly dependent on the region of the body being treated and the total dose. What I liked about the video is that it provides patients with the chance to see what actually happens within the treatment room. In doing so, I hope you were left with the impression that it’s not that bad and when it is warranted it can provide a great service to cancer patients.

A diagnosis of cancer can be scary, and understanding a treatment plan confusing. To gain more information, it is sometimes wise to seek a second opinion or advice from another qualified cancer specialist or group of specialists before or even after you begin treatment.

If you are asked to consider alternatives, such as surgery or radiation or chemotherapy or hormone therapy, you might want to hear from each type of oncologist who gives that treatment. It’s all right to look at all your options. A second opinion could save your life or better protect your quality of life.

Options for getting a second opinion:

- Talk to a cancer specialist in another specialty or medical group.

- Ask that your case be presented to a tumor board or tumor conference at your hospital.

- Ask to get a second opinion on your pathology reading, especially if there is any controversy in making a complete diagnosis.

- Seek the advice of a renowned cancer expert usually in a comprehensive cancer center especially if your situation is complicated or uncommon.

For more information, see our companion website: www.patientresource.net. Here’s some of the content from patientresource.net that you may find useful:

Getting a second opinion involves asking another cancer specialist or group of specialists to review your medical records and confirm your doctor’s diagnosis and treatment plan. Other specialists can confirm your pathology report and stage of cancer and might suggest changes or alternatives to the proposed treatment plan. They can also answer any additional questions you may have. There is often collective wisdom gained from the experience and opinions of different oncology specialists who are experts in your type of cancer.

There are lots of reasons for seeking a second opinion. Some doctors may favor one treatment approach, while others might suggest a different combination of treatments. Doctors in each oncology specialty bring different training and perspectives to cancer treatment planning. Another doctor’s opinion may change the diagnosis or reveal a treatment your first doctor was not aware of. You need to hear arguments for all of your treatment options. A second opinion is also a way to make sure your pathology diagnosis and staging are accurate, and that you are aware of clinical trials that you might want to consider.

If you are asked to consider alternatives, such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or hormone therapy, you might want to hear from each type of oncologist who provides that treatment. It’s all right to look at all your options; a second opinion could save your life or better protect your quality of life. Most doctors welcome another doctor’s opinion.

Second opinions are also valuable if you live in a small town or rural area where there may not be as many oncology specialists, especially if you have an uncommon type of cancer or might need a highly specialized or complicated type of care. If so, you may want to get an opinion from specialists at a larger medical center or comprehensive cancer center with particular expertise in treating your type of cancer.