Finding the Right Oncologist for You
- Monita Mitra
- May 13, 2023
- 3 min read
It is difficult to hear that yourself or your loved one has cancer and will need to undergo treatment. Cancer treatment and recovery is a journey in itself, where there are several chronological steps to take in order to ensure that you or your loved one receives the best cancer treatment suited for them. The first (and the most important) step in this process is finding the right oncologist that is best suited to conform to the patient’s needs. This article is focused on helping a cancer patient navigate through this step of the cancer treatment process.
The very first step in finding the best oncologist for a specific cancer patient is to obtain a referral from their primary care physician, if possible. More often than not, a patient’s primary care doctor will be able to refer them to an oncologist that the physician trusts, or that charges less fees when associated with that physician. In the rare case that a patient’s primary care provider is unable to provide a referral, the patient should try to look for an oncologist situated in a NCI (National Cancer Institute).
To shortlist a few oncologists, there are a number of factors that a cancer patient should consider. The patient should note to only note down the names of oncologists that accept the respective healthcare insurance plan that they are under. The patient should also take note of if the oncologist is associated with any other cancer facilities or hospitals, in the case of an emergency. In choosing the cancer center/oncologist that the patient wants to work with, the patient should also consider the emotional health needs that the respective cancer center has to offer. Does the cancer center provide therapy? Does the center help the patient navigate through the emotional “ups and downs” that are commonly associated with cancer treatment?
Upon finding a suitable oncologist, the patient should proceed to ask a few questions to ensure themselves of the oncologist’s credibility. For example, the patient can ask questions regarding the oncologist’s board certification, the number of patients the oncologist has worked with, etc.
TIP: One easy way to check an oncologist’s credibility is to find out whether they are affiliated with a certain respected medical school, or medical teaching hospital/facility.
While deciding whether a particular oncologist is right, it is also important that the patient (along with their family medicine practitioner) does additional research to cross-compare between different oncologists. In many cases, a patient’s family medicine practitioner will be able to give the patient more insight as to which oncologist best be suited to their type of cancer and desired treatment.
After the initial stage of treatment confirmation with the oncologist, it is extremely important for the patient to assess their situation. If the patient feels even a slight doubt about the choices of treatment that the chosen oncologist is making, it is in the patient’s best interest to receive a second medical opinion. It could also help for the patient to discuss with their current oncologist about changing their particular course of treatment before reaching out for secondary medical advice.
Here are some search database tools (websites) to help a patient in their efforts to find an oncologist:
There are more database tools of oncologists and cancer health professionals on cancer.org’s article about the ins and outs of choosing a cancer doctor.
It is extremely crucial that a patient takes the required steps and/or procedures needed in order to find an oncologist that is best suited to their treatment plan and needs. Failure to do so will set the patient to not get the proper care, help, and experiences that they ought to receive from their cancer treatment. Furthermore, patients (who fail to research) will not have peace of mind or satisfaction about their treatment, even if the oncologist is #1 ranked in the world. Research now for it to pay off in the future.
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