What to Consider When Making Treatment Decisions and Sharing With Your Doctor

After hearing the initial diagnosis of cancer and talking with your family, one of the most difficult parts of figuring out your cancer journey can be decision-making. Cancer has been part of my family's lives for many years (from prostate cancer to breast cancer), and we’ve learned a lot about active participation in charting our path.

We’ve been able to look at the different steps of decision-making related to my husband’s prostate cancer treatment. We put those decisions in specific categories, and that process helped us stay focused and took away some of the uncertainty in decision-making. We hope some of this process may be helpful to others.

Considerations when making treatment decisions

Are you going to stay the course?

Do you start out planning to continue medical treatments, scans, tests, medical visits, surgery, medications? Other more indirect but still important things to consider are counseling, changing nutritional direction and goals, and potentially participating in physical therapy to help combat side effects of treatment. So much to think about. Make sure your doctor is part of the discussion as you consider all these aspects of cancer treatment.

Are you going to make a different decision?

Many oncologists have a standard plan and protocol in place for prostate cancer treatment depending on its severity, the age of the patient, and other factors to consider. But the final decision regarding treatment lies with the patient. It’s your body, your life, your financial ability, your family – you decide.

In many cases, it’s a major decision as to which type of treatment to pursue. Knowledge is the key here. So much information is available to patients and caregivers. Do the research, spend time studying, and ask questions. All of that can help you as you make your decision to continue with recommended treatment or refuse and seek more answers.

Do you need more time?

Another option beside refusal is delay. If your doctor is ready to move forward with treatment or surgery immediately, you may not have had a chance to do your homework. Delay may be an answer. You’re not saying no, but you’re giving yourself a chance to review and consider available information (of which there is plenty, but discretion must be used). Speak with your family, or perhaps seek a second opinion. Do some research to see what others in a similar situation have done.

If you learn something from your research or second opinion that may give you options for a different direction, speak with your oncologist about what you’ve learned. See what they think. Have they had experience with this other option? After discussing what you’ve learned, see if your thoughts and your doctor’s thoughts align. This part of the process may seem to add to the list of things to consider. But it’s important and helpful, because you’re looking at all possibilities and can feel more confident in any treatment decision you make.

Can you seek help from others?

Finally, in many cases there may be a spouse, partner, or significant other to consider. As the wife of a prostate cancer patient and his caregiver, it was very important for me to be part of each process: doctor appointments, research, questions, second opinions, final decisions. If there’s someone who shares your life and the impact of your cancer, the role of the partner can be critical. Don’t forget to include them.

Find the direction that is best for you

Is cancer easy? Of course not. Is decision-making easy? Of course not. But there are steps to take that may help take some of the pressure and stress off of your diagnosis and treatment. I hope this article gives you a few of those steps and that it can help you as you move forward to find the direction that is the best for you.