Top Questions to Ask Before Selecting Your Oncologist

Being diagnosed with cancer can bring up an emotional moment in your life. Sometimes it can come up with outbursts of emotions, from shock to an infinite range of sadness and fear, which often leads to high levels of uncertainty about life!

If you are diagnosed with cancer and ready to meet your cancer doctor, also known as an oncologist, there are some questions you need to ask your physician. One of the first doctors you consult after a positive diagnosis of cancer is a medical oncologist.

Asking important questions to your medical oncologist is essential for understanding your cancer treatments. It might provide you with a sense of realization, controlling your emotions and acceptance that you are diagnosed with cancer and mental preparedness for further cancer treatments.

In this blog, we’ll provide some of the important questions you can consider asking before you select your oncologist for your cancer.

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Questions to Ask Before You Select Your Oncologist

Here are the top five important questions to ask before you select your oncologist for your treatment.

1.What is the type of cancer I have?

The answer to this question seems obvious. It mainly depends upon the type of cancer you have. However, identifying the type of cancer gives you clarity and awareness of further treatments and steps you may need to go through to cure the cancer.

Cancers are commonly classified by the type of cells they originate from and where the cancer is located in the body.

The common cancer types are:

From tissue origin:

• Carcinomas: It's a common cancer type that originates from epithelial cells that form the lining of organs and skin. For example: lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and skin cancers.
• Sarcomas: These types of cancers often develop in the connective tissues, bones, cartilages, muscles, and blood vessels.
• Leukemias: This is a type of cancer that affects the formation of blood cells. For example, bone marrow, which often leads to abnormal blood cell production.
• Lymphomas: This is another type of cancer that often develops in the lymphatic system, which is a part of the immune system.

2. Where is the cancer in my body?

Oncologists often categorize the cancer found based on their place of formation or origin in your body. Once you recognize the specific type of cancer you have, the next step is to determine your cancer stage. Identifying the cancer stage might help to understand how much the cancer has spread, whether it has spread into surrounding healthy tissues and lymph nodes, and to what extent it has grown; its size and risk are attached to your body.

This will give you clarity about what types of treatments, survival rate, and lifestyle changes are required to fight this cancer. In the early stages, cancer forms solid tumors that are usually limited to the body parts where its growth started. Usually surgeries are performed to destroy the cancer, along with radiation and chemotherapy treatment, which are also widely used. In more terminal stage cancers, the growth has often spread beyond their original locations. This often comes with large tumors on other organs or tissues.

By body location:

• Blood: Types of blood cancers are leukemias, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
• Brain and spinal cord: The types of brain and spinal cord cancers (central nervous system cancer, CNS) are gliomas, meningiomas, and medulloblastomas.
• Bone: The types of bone cancers are osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma.
• Digestive or Gastrointestinal: Types of digestive cancers are anal cancer, appendix cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, small bowel cancer, colorectal cancer (colon or rectum), biliary tract cancer, gastric or stomach cancers, and esophageal cancer.
• Endocrine: The types of endocrine cancers are thyroid cancer, pituitary adenoma, pancreatic cancer, parathyroid cancer, adrenal glands, hypothalamus, and pancreas, etc.
• Genitourinary: The types of genitourinary cancers are bladder cancer, cervical cancer, renal cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer.
• Respiratory: The types of respiratory cancer are lung cancer, bronchus cancer, and mesothelioma cancer.

3. What are the next steps for my cancer treatment?

Once you have understood the basics of your diagnosis, the next step is to understand what the next steps are towards your cancer treatment.

These are some of the most important questions you need to ask your oncologists:

• Do I need to undergo any additional treatments prior to the original cancer treatment?
• What are the treatment options available for my cancer?
• If I need to undergo any surgery, how long will each treatment take or last?
• What kind of side effects can I expect, and what can I do to decrease the impact?
• Will the treatment or surgery impact my daily life?
• If I need to go for chemotherapy, how long will it take to recover after the procedure?
• How long will I stay in the hospital?
• What are the precautions I need to take in case there is any complication after the surgery?
• Can my cancer recur, and what are the symptoms and signs I need to watch for?
• Do I need to undergo any treatment after the treatment? If yes, how often will the tests need to be performed?
• Are there any particular precautions I need to take care of ?
• How can I manage the long-term side effects of my treatment? How can I prevent the side effects?
• How will this treatment affect my quality of life?
• What are the potential risks and benefits of each treatment option?
• What are my recovery chances and survival rate for cancer?

4. What are the goals of my cancer treatment?

This is one of the most important questions to ask your oncologists. Understanding your cancer treatment goals can often translate into both ways. For example, how you feel during your cancer treatment and when or how it will end!

In the early stages of cancer, the primary goal is to remove the cancer cells or growth. But it could come with subtle differences in the terminal stages of cancer, where the primary goal is to extend a cancer patient’s life while slowing the cancer’s growth or reducing and managing the symptoms.

Sharing your goal of treatment and what matters to you the most will be greatly helpful for your oncologists. Some cancer patients will choose to live long enough to reach a particular age limit, but some might want to maintain a high quality of life in whatever time they have left, which matters the most.

5. What types of oncologists do I need to consult for my cancer treatment?

This is another important question you should consider asking your physician while moving forward with your treatment.

Most cancer patients should have a combination of oncologists.

• Medical oncologist
• Surgical oncologist and
• Radiation oncologist.

For example, if you are a diabetic patient, you need to consult an endocrinologist, or if you have heart issues, you need to consult an onco-cardiologist.

Before starting your treatment, you need to share all your health concerns with your cancer specialists. This will further help you to have the best possible experience during your cancer treatment.

6. What is Cancer treatment cost in India?

In India, the treatment costs of cancer are less when compared to other western countries because of the progress in the health care sector, especially in cancer care. The treatment costs in India might vary significantly. However, the cost of treatments price range often starts from 250,000 to 2,000,000, depending on the type of cancer, treatment options, hospital infrastructure, and location.

Additionally, the emergence of premium cancer hospitals like the Oncare Cancer Care Center has transformed the landscape of traditional cancer care and its treatments. From its diagnosis to advanced cancer surgeries and further treatments, Oncare has become a leading destination for affordable cancer treatment in India.

We provide premium-quality, standard cancer care and treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy in an affordable price package without compromising the clinical quality. Additionally, Oncare offers affordable cancer surgeries and provides great discounts on cancer medicines, diagnosis, and tests.

We consider each cancer patient and their financial struggles while they battle against the cancer. Oncare has become a ray of hope for many cancer patients in India.

7. Why is Oncare the best choice for cancer treatment in India?

Oncare Cancer Center is the best option for cancer treatment in India. Oncare offers high-quality treatment options in an affordable price range with an experienced specialist consultation.

Here are some of the unique features of Oncare:

• Expert specialist consultation
• Transparency in cancer treatments
• Affordable chemotherapy packages
• Reasonable cancer surgeries
• Immunotherapy
• Radiotherapy
• Expert teleconsultation (joint consultation)
• CT/PET SCAN
• Diagnosis
• Discounted cancer medications
• Nutritional diet guidance
• Fast patient admission and discharge procedure (within 30 minutes)

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Cancer treatment costs: Oncare vs. other hospitals in India

Here is the comparison of treatment cost for cancer at Oncare vs. other cancer hospitals in India.

Oncare Cancer is the best cancer hospital in India, which provides access to various cancer treatments at affordable prices. We are committed to supporting and guiding our cancer patients to focus on their healing journey rather than worrying about their cost of cure.

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Conclusion

A cancer diagnosis is often life-changing, and it's important to ask some relevant questions to your cancer specialists. Gaining clarity about your cancer journey with a deep understanding of what to expect ahead and how to proceed is crucial for successful cancer treatment. From 'what type of cancer do I have' to 'where is my cancer located'? and 'What is the chance of my cancer surviving?' and 'Side effects of treatments.' It's essential to ask every question that is causing stress! Additionally, inquiring about the cost of treatment and potential side effects might help you make the right decisions.

At Oncare Cancer Center, our cancer specialist provides you with clarity and honest guidance on the best treatment options for your cancer. Our oncologists answer common cancer patient concerns, such as:

• 'What should be considered ahead in terms of treatment of cancer?
• What are the side effects of chemotherapy?
• What types of cancer surgeries are available?
• What are the costs of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy?

If you or your loved ones are diagnosed with cancer, trust Oncare Cancer center for any personalized consultation. Call us today for an estimated treatment cost!

Book your consultation with our oncologist; visit our center today!

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