A Multidisciplinary team of health professionals will help with your treatment. Each team member offers expertise in different aspects of your treatment. The treatment team will meet regularly to update each other about your health and progress. You should be informed about the information shared between team members, to help you understand the cancer and its treatment, and to help with decisions about treatment.
Members of the treatment team will vary according to the type and stage of the cancer and will include doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals with expertise in different aspects of your care. The team might change during the course of treatment.
Talking with your treatment team
It’s OK to ask health professionals questions and to ask for more information. Some people find it overwhelming to receive lots of information, while others want as much information as they can find. It may take a while to feel confident to ask questions.
Tips for talking with your treatment team:
- Tell the people managing your care how much you want to be involved with decisions about your treatment.
- Ask as many questions as you need to, and don’t worry about asking the same question more than once.
- Write down questions when they occur to you so you can remember them when you meet with members of your healthcare team.
- Ask a relative or friend to come to your appointments and ask them to write down what the doctor or nurse says.
- If your doctor agrees, record your discussions so you and your family can listen again later.
- Ask your doctor or nurse to write down what was said during your appointments.