Building Your Care Team

Most patients have a medical oncologist who manages chemotherapy or immunotherapy and oversees the big picture. If surgery is an option, a thoracic surgeon for pleural disease or a surgical oncologist for peritoneal disease joins the team. A radiation oncologist may be involved in some plans. A pathologist and a radiologist work mostly behind the scenes but shape every decision. Ask which of these doctors is your main contact, because that person should be the one pulling results together and explaining how the pieces fit. When two doctors give you different advice, the coordinating doctor is the one to ask to sort it out.

Palliative care specialists focus on breathlessness, pain, fatigue and sleep, and they can work alongside active treatment from the start. A nurse navigator helps with scheduling and questions between visits. A social worker can point you toward transportation help, lodging near a treatment center and financial assistance programs. A dietitian becomes important when appetite drops or weight starts to fall. Many centers also have counselors or psychologists who work with cancer patients and their families. These roles are easy to overlook because nobody offers them loudly, so ask for them by name when you meet your oncologist.

Your doctors may work in different buildings or even different health systems. Ask each office for a direct phone number or patient portal access, and write them all on one sheet. Ask that visit notes and test results be shared with your coordinating doctor and your primary care doctor. If you see a specialist out of town, make sure your local oncologist receives their recommendations in writing. Bring an updated medication list to every appointment. Small habits like these prevent repeated scans, conflicting instructions and long waits for answers when you need them most.

1. 1

   Ask your oncologist directly which doctor coordinates your care and how to reach that office quickly.

2. 2

   Request referrals to palliative care, a dietitian and a social worker, even if you feel fairly well now.

3. 3

   Write every team member's name, role and direct phone number on one sheet kept by the phone.

4. 4

   Ask each specialist to send visit notes to your coordinating doctor and your primary care doctor.