The medical literature tells us that one of the most stressful times of a patients’ cancer course is the time between discovering that they may have cancer and beginning their treatment. So much is new and unknown. For many patients, this is their first exposure to the health care system. The patient often requires multiple tests and need to consult with different physician specialties, sometimes in different hospitals before treatment can begin.

It can be a time where well meaning family and friends provide advice and anecdotes from their experiences with cancer. Such advice can be helpful but sometimes can lead to further confusion. Add to that the explosion of information on the internet with the gravity of finding out you may have cancer, and it is no wonder that patients find themselves scared, anxious, and confused.

To help organize and simplify the process leading up to the treatment of the patients disease, it may be good to think in terms of a 3 step pathway; diagnosis (what is it?), stage (where is it?), and treatment options (what can I do about it?). Each of these steps is critically important, because the treatment options you will be provided with vary considerably by the type and location of lung cancer and the general health of the patient. If the diagnosis and stage are not adequate, the patient may receive the wrong treatment, and that could adversely effect survival. Continue reading →