Content Overview 
- Summary
- Let your emotions settle. A cancer diagnosis is usually not an emergency.
- Contact the doctor who diagnosed you or the doctor's nurse or office manager. Ask for a repeat of the basics, including how long you have to make a decision..
- Take time choosing a cancer doctor - generally a specialist called an Oncologist.
- Focus on getting the medical care you need. A patient navigator can help. Postpone major non-medical decisions until after treatment ends if possible.
- Learn the basics about your cancer.
- Decide whether you or someone else will be the decision maker about your health care. Learn how to maximize time with a doctor.
- Before deciding on a treatment, consider getting a second opinion. Understand the pros and cons of each possibility.
- Think of non-traditional treatments as complementary or in addition to - not instead of what your doctor has to offer.
- Decide who to tell about your condition, when, and how much to tell.
- Think of family and friends as part of your health care team. Ask them for help when you need it. Your health needs should come first, but also consider theirs. If you have underage children, tell them about your diagnosis in an age appropriate manner.
- If you work, whether you are an employee, business owner, or self employed, be cautious telling about your diagnosis right away. There is no legal obligation to tell. Consider taking some time to focus on your condition first.
- Share your emotions. Watch for depression. Consider seeking counseling. Keep busy while waiting for test results. You may also want to consider getting a pet if you don't have one (yes, a pet).
- Start looking at your insurance and financial situation to determine how you will pay for medical care. Even with health insurance, medical care can be costly. Free or low cost care is available if you are uninsured or underinsured.
- Attend to your financial basics. Pay your rent or mortgage and minimums on your credit card. Start keeping track of all medical services you receive and expenses you pay. Don't pay a medical bill just because you receive one.
- Financial assistance may be available if needed.
- Learn to be wise about purchasing, living with, storing and disposing of drugs. Free drugs may be available.
- Drugs and treatments do not work in a vacuum. Start to think of the food you eat, the exercise you get, rest/sleep and even proper care of your mouth as steps you can take to make treatments and drugs most effective.
- Speak with other people who are going through what you are.
- If you have underage children, tell them about your diagnosis in an age appropriate manner. Monitor their behavior. Arrange for their care in case something happens to you.
- Schedule a dental check up.
- If you want to have children, take steps to preserve your ability prior to starting chemotherapy or radiation.
- IF YOUR DIAGNOSIS IS AN ADVANCED STAGE OF CANCER OR AN UNUSUAL OR A RARE CANCER
- ONCE A TREATMENT DECISION IS MADE
Newly Diagnosed With Cancer
Decide whether you or someone else will be the decision maker about your health care. Learn how to maximize time with a doctor.
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Medical decisions may not be as clear cut as you would like. There may be different medical treatments available. There may be gray areas. Medicine is a combination of science and art.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to who makes the decisions. The key is what works for you. It is worth keeping in mind that there is a growing body of evidence that patients who participate in the decision making process do better than people who don't. The great majority of "how to" books and articles by long term survivors talk about the importance of being pro-active and understanding that it is your job to make the health care system work for you.
By and large, cancer doctors today understand that their role is to present information and advice. It is the patient's role to make the decision.
Still, it is your body and your decision who you want to make medical decisions. If you don't want to make the decisions, you can ask the doctor to. Or you can appoint a person to make medical decisions for you. In legal language, such a person is called a "Health Care Power of Attorney" or "Proxy."
NOTE: You can continue to have control over medical decisions even if you become unable to communicate through legal documents known together as "Advance Directives." A Living Will is the advance directive we hear about most often.
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