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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf your family doctor suspects you have esophageal cancer, you may be referred to a number of doctors who will help to evaluate your condition. Your health care team may include doctors who:
- Evaluate the esophagus (gastroenterologists)
- Treat cancer with chemotherapy and other medications (oncologists)
- Perform surgery (surgeons)
- Use radiation to treat cancer (radiation oncologists)
To get the most from your appointment, it's a good idea to be well prepared. Here's some information to help you get ready, and to know what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements you're taking.
- Consider taking a family member or friend along. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time with your doctor. For esophageal cancer, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Where is my esophageal cancer?
- How advanced is my cancer?
- Can you explain the pathology report to me?
- What other tests do I need?
- What are my treatment options?
- What are the potential side effects of each treatment option?
- Is there one treatment option you feel is the best?
- What would you recommend to a friend or family member in my situation?
- Should I see a specialist?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?
- What will determine whether I should plan for a follow-up visit?
Don't hesitate to ask any other questions that occur to you during your appointment.
- Swanson S. Surgical management of localized esophageal cancer. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 3, 2011.
- Esophageal cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/esophageal.pdf. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Esophageal cancer treatment (PDQ) health professional version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/esophageal/healthprofessional/allpages. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Esophageal cancer screening (PDQ) health professional version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/esophageal/healthprofessional/allpages. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Eating hints for cancer patients: Before, during and after treatment. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/coping/eatinghints. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Lagergren J, et al. Oesophageal cancer. British Medical Journal. 2010;341:1207.
- Management of esophageal cancer. Current Problems in Surgery. 2010;47:845.
- NCCN guidelines: Esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancers. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Gan S, et al. Advances in clinical practice: New endoscopic and surgical treatment options for early esophageal adenocarcinoma. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2010;50:1478.
- Campbell NP, et al. World Journal of Gastroenterology. Neoadjuvant treatment of esophageal cancer. 2010;16:3793.
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