How To Take Charge After a Lung Cancer Diagnosis
What you think & feel matters. Don't be afraid to express yourself, wherever you are in your lung cancer experience.
Just hang in there. We are not alone. If you start talking about it, people will respond mostly with kindness and love.
No one understands the experience of living with lung cancer better than those who have been diagnosed with the disease. This makes it essential for patients to share their experiences with their healthcare providers, researchers, caregivers, and other cancer patients.
If you are living with lung cancer, your voice holds power. It’s valuable as you work with your care team to develop your own treatment plan. And, when you share your experience, it can also help others who have been or will be diagnosed with lung cancer.
Here are key ways your voice plays a role in your experience, and for others living with lung cancer:
Making Treatment Decisions
Patient-centered communication is when healthcare providers give patients the time, information, and support they need to understand their care. In our own research on the topic, we found that lung cancer patients who had patient-centered communication were four times more likely to feel prepared to make cancer treatment decisions. They were also three times more likely to feel knowledgeable about their treatment options.
Discover More About Our Research Findings
Effective communication from healthcare providers directly impacts your confidence and understanding when making treatment decisions. Sometimes, communication from providers may not be clear. This can make it difficult for patients to decide how to proceed with treatment. In these situations, some patients may decide to seek a second opinion from an oncologist who views them as a partner in their treatment plan.
Here are ways to make your voice heard when making treatment decisions:
- Advocate for yourself. Ask questions about your lung cancer diagnosis and treatment options, take notes, and ask for copies of your pathology reports and test results. Don’t be afraid to ask questions until you understand what your doctor is sharing with you.
- Empower yourself with information. Learn as much as you can about your diagnosis and treatment options when preparing for your medical appointments. Explore our resources to help you talk with your care team about your experience with lung cancer.
- Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. Getting a second opinion can not only present more treatment options, but it can also ensure that you are receiving state-of-the-art care.
- Find a cancer care team that is right for you. Review these questions to ask when choosing your cancer care team.
Did you know?
Every cancer is unique just as every person is unique. The treatment that is most likely to work for you is the one that is tailored just for you. This means that it is tailored to the precise subtype of cancer you have.
Biomarker testing is one kind of test that may help determine the best treatment for your lung cancer. Ask your healthcare team about comprehensive biomarker testing.
Helping Others
Your voice is essential in the treatment decision process. It can also make a positive difference in your community and beyond. Healthcare providers, advocacy groups, and other people who are living with lung cancer need to hear from you. Here are some ways to share your voice:
- Be a patient advocate: Visit our action center for opportunities to let your voice be heard. Discover ways to share your cancer experience, advocate for co-pay policy changes, talk about your experience with telehealth, and other opportunities to get involved in patient advocacy.
- Participate in research: Find research opportunities that match with your unique experiences and insights. Your experiences are crucial to the development of research that serves the community of lung cancer patients.
- Build your community: Join a cancer support group or online discussion forum. Support groups and discussion forums are great ways to connect with others facing similar experiences. You may be encouraged by hearing people’s stories. Likewise, others may benefit from hearing your story and feel less alone in their experience.
- Share your story to inspire action & drive change. If you have been touched by cancer, chances are you have a story to tell. Storytelling is an opportunity to connect with others, especially those who may not understand your experience or point of view.