Читать книгу The Cancer Directory - Dr. Daniel Rosy - Страница 95

Doctors often disagree, which may seem surprising, but medicine is still in many ways an art rather than science. There are several ways in which the same result can be achieved, and cancer medicine is no exception. Many large centres have case conferences where individual patients are discussed and treatment options reviewed. There is regular disagreement on even the simplest decisions, such as whether to recommend radiotherapy after an operation or how many doses of chemotherapy should be given. Where doctors don’t yet have the knowledge, clinical trials are set up to try and determine the best way to treat a certain type of cancer. Doctors have to come up with the best treatment plan for each person, with constantly moving goalposts as treatment techniques and drugs are continuously evolving.

Variations in treatments are offered by different NHS doctors, and you may also choose to get your treatment privately. Treatment approaches vary around the world and you may feel you would like to look further afield to:

• check that the treatment being offered to you is considered the best regime available

• establish if any other countries have any new developments or technology not yet available in your country

• look at other treatments to see what fits best into your personal approach and value system.

To find out what other options are available to you, you can:

• explain your preferences to your doctor and ask him to find you other options to be looked into

• use your own resources and information to research what is available and discuss it with your team

• use the UK Cancer Options team to do your research and work through the choices with your doctors.

There are several issues to consider when looking at your options:

• Would you be prepared to have treatment in another part of the country?

• Would you be prepared to have treatment abroad?

• Do you have any financial resources that can be used to increase your options?

No doctor of any standing will be offended if you ask for a second opinion in your own country. We all realize the complexity of modern medicine and that no one is infallible. If you are not happy with what is being proposed, ask for a second opinion. It will save time and money to take all your test results and a letter with your complete medical summary about your condition with you.

You can either leave the choice of who you see for a second opinion to your doctor, or you can use the websites in the Resources Directory or the Cancer Options team to find top specialists for your kind of cancer, then request a referral from your GP to the doctor of your choice.