| Prevention efforts seem to have failed. The doctor | | | | analyze. Ask your doctor for a paper copy of the |
| used the dreaded "C" word...cancer. Now what? We | | | | test results. This will give you the exact name of the |
| hear a lot of buzz about amazing cures and | | | | cancer, if the cancer is malignant (harmful), and other |
| successes, "If you'll just buy my book, take my pills | | | | useful information. Based on this, your doctor will |
| or visit my center." The very word, cancer, scares us | | | | recommend other tests to determine the stage |
| so completely, we believe we're going to die any | | | | (extent of growth) or grade (speed of growth) and |
| minute. Sadly, it's those fears the frauds are counting | | | | treatment options to consider. Take lots of notes |
| on. They want you to be so afraid you'll try | | | | and ask lots of questions! While continuing the test |
| anything...even their product. Many of us are so | | | | treatment recommendations of your doctor, take |
| frozen in fear, we ignore that fact that many forms | | | | this information to a second opinion appointment with |
| of cancer are treatable...often, actual cures have | | | | another doctor, not associated with the first one. |
| been developed and adopted as standard treatment | | | | While doctors are highly educated, they are human. |
| for cancer. Sometimes, the fears generated by | | | | Doctors and their staffs make mistakes. Second |
| frauds can cause us to choose back-alley, ineffective | | | | opinions are so you can head off mistakes before |
| treatments instead of viable ones recommended by | | | | they happen. |
| our doctors. If we just calm down and begin to | | | | Awareness and understanding of standard treatment |
| study the situation, we can often relieve our fears | | | | options, risk factors, success rates, unique |
| and make rational decisions that will avoid the frauds | | | | terminology and second opinions will all help you be a |
| and help our doctors help us heal. | | | | better patient, active in the treatment of your |
| Natural Cancer Cure...and other fraudulent claims: | | | | disease. This is why, before the second opinion |
| Frauds come in all shapes, sizes and prices. Perhaps | | | | appointment, you need to research the information |
| the biggest price people pay is chasing after these | | | | from your doctor. Search reputable sources on the |
| things when sound treatments are available. You will | | | | Internet for everything you can find about your |
| rarely hear a reputable doctor use the word, "cure," | | | | specific cancer. Yes, you'll need a dictionary and |
| when referring to cancer. Immediately, then, a red | | | | medical encyclopedia. A great place to begin your |
| flag should go up in your mind if someone is offering | | | | research is the U.S. National Cancer Institute. It's |
| or claiming a cure. Other claims that should strike you | | | | where I've found most of my reliable cancer |
| as suspicious are ones that suggest standard cancer | | | | information. Print all the information about the cancer, |
| treatments, like radiation or chemotherapy kill people. | | | | stages, grades, treatment options, success rates, |
| Let's get this straight right now...people die from | | | | survival rates and treatment centers. Highlight the |
| some types of cancer. Some terminal cancer patients | | | | parts that apply to you and write questions for your |
| choose to receive experimental treatments in a last | | | | doctors. Take all the information with you to all your |
| ditch effort to try and slow the disease. For frauds | | | | appointments with your doctors. Make sure to point |
| to use this to get you to distrust a doctor's standard | | | | out when their opinions differ and gauge their |
| treatment, however limited the success rate, should | | | | reactions. If their recommended treatments differ |
| be considered a crime. The only time you should | | | | from what your research shows, ask them why. |
| consider experimental treatments or claims of those | | | | Some doctors will be humble, thank you, and offer to |
| outside of the medical community is if you have a | | | | look into it further. Other doctors will need to be |
| terminal condition and you've exhausted all accepted | | | | replaced, as was the case with my wife's father. |
| medical treatments. You're a grown-up, now. You | | | | My father-in-law's doctor made a mistake, treating a |
| should get all the objective advice and information | | | | very aggressive life-threatening cancer with cosmetic |
| you can, about every treatment you're considering, | | | | surgery. By following the steps I've listed in this |
| but people trying to sell you non-standard treatments | | | | article, I was able to convince the new doctors to |
| are not objective...you need to do your own | | | | follow-up with radiation to significantly reduce the |
| homework...and this is the most important homework | | | | probability of relapse. Since, with his cancer, relapse is |
| assignment you may ever get . | | | | almost always fatal, it was better to be safe, even if |
| Do Your Cancer Research: Biopsy is usually the first | | | | it cost the HMO a couple more bucks. |
| bit of research done to verify a suspicion of cancer. | | | | Some doctors and HMO's get a little confused as to |
| That's where the doctor collects cells for the lab to | | | | who makes your health care decisions.. |