Why is my treatment plan changing?

 

Q: Why is my treatment plan changing?

A: Your cancer treatment plan is an outline of what your health care team expects to happen based on their knowledge of treatment protocols and your specific diagnosis. The aim of your plan is to give you the most therapeutic treatment with minimal side effects. However, your response to treatment will be unique to you.

Changes may be made to your original treatment plan to insure your best response and quality of life. You should be an active participant in such decisions. Do not fear a treatment plan change--get the information you need to understand the benefits of this change.
--Bernice Crook, RN, OCN

Here's what you can do to optimize your treatment.

Latest Cancer News
Oncotype DX® Predicts Recurrence Risk in Node-negative and Node-positive Breast Cancer Treated with Tamoxifen or Anastrozole

March 10, 2010 — Researchers affiliated with the TransATAC Study have reported that the Oncotype DX® test predicts the risk of distant cancer recurrence in postmenopausal women with early, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer with both node-negative and node-positive disease treated with tamoxifen (Nolvadex®) or anastrozole (Arimidex®). These results were published early online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on March 8, 2010.

Recent Results of High-dose Proleukin® for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Reported

March 10, 2010 — Researchers involved in a U.S. multicenter trial (Cytokine Working Group) have reported that high-dose Proleukin® (aldesleukin, interleukin-2, IL-2) results in a higher response rate in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC) than historically reported. The details of this study were presented at the 2010 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, March 5-7, in San Francisco.

Cystoscopy Remains Best Method for Surveillance of Patients with Bladder Cancer

March 10, 2010 — Researchers from the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have reported that cystoscopy alone remains the most cost-effective method of detecting recurrent superficial bladder cancer. The details of this study were presented at the 2010 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium March 5-7 in San Francisco.

Select news items provided by Reuters Health