5 questions for your radiation oncologist

1. Are you board certified?  Ask this question!  You would be surprised who is not.  I think you should be treated by a board certified physician--or a younger physician who is in process of taking the boards.
2. Have  you looked at my pathology personally?  See previous post for reasons why.
3. What are my radiation options?  Whole breast? Partial breast? Mammosite? IMRT? There are many techniques available and you will only be offered what is available at that particular institution.  But what if you needed (or wanted) a treatment not offered? 
4. What other radiation facilities are close by that you can recommend? A good doctor will always happily provide names and places for a second opinion.  If your doctor balks at this question---RUN.
5. Is there an expert in the area for my particular condition?  If there is--see that person for a second opinion.

More questions next time.

Radiation Therapy and pathology

To ensure you get the best, most high quality radiation therapy one has to do a little homework.

1) Insist your radiation oncologist looks at your pathology slides personally.  Just reading the report (which is what happens most of the time) may not be good enough (unless you are being treated at a very high quality institution.

There is often valuable information (not in the report) and looking at the slides personally can sometimes change the radiation treatment.  For instance, the margin status (or nearness of the cancer cells to normal tissue) can be better appreciated by looking.  Sometimes the report only comments on the closest positive margin--when there may have been several close margins.  This can impact therapy.

See what your doctor says when you ask if he or she has seen the slides (or spoken to the pathologist)!

You have a choice

You have a choice when it comes to the radiation facility for your treatment.

Most woman go to the facility  they are referred to or one that is closest to their home.

But radiation therapy departments are all different.  And choosing a good one is very important.

Some have part time doctors.  Some have outdated equipment.  Some have no nurses.  Some are excellent and some are just plain bad.

But your referring doctor will generally not know the difference--sometimes not even care to know the difference. 

It is up to you to ask the right questions.

More on this important topic --next time.