Doctors
Doctors and Your Leiomyosarcoma Treatment
People diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) are not going to work with a single physician but with a team of medical experts who will help them to combat and overcome their challenging cancer. LMS is something that is quite rare and which can manifest in many different ways. Because of this, the patient with LMS rarely deals with just their physician, and instead has to spend a bit of time finding experts in LMS and in the particular form of LMS that they have.
This makes it sound like you are going to have an uphill battle ahead, but the current resources and cancer treatment centers in the U.S. make it easier than ever to begin to locate your ideal providers and healthcare team. Before we look at the kinds of doctors you will need, let’s make sure you have the tools on hand to enable you to combat your disease.
The Records
To enable your doctors to do the best job possible, make sure you present them with all of the facts. The best way to do this is to have all of your medical records on hand. The pathology reports, any surgical reports, and all of the lab work will be just the beginning. Be sure you have copies of any scans or tests, and also any summaries your physicians have created.
While you are gathering up these materials, it is a rare chance for you to get referrals for the specialists you will next need to see. This is information that is going to evolve out of the staging of your tumor or LMS condition, and you may not even need to ask for the information. Your physician may give you suggestions for several experts, and you should always take their advice, but also remember that second opinions are never a bad idea, either. Just be sure you do not drag out the process over many days or weeks. The sooner you begin to deal with the condition, the better.
The Oncologist
You are unlikely to work with just a single oncologist. Instead, you are probably going to meet a sarcoma oncologist as the key physician on the team. This is someone who will be familiar with LMS and with your variation of it. They may also be familiar with the organs or tissue in which your LMS has taken hold.
Of course, here we do have to note that you won’t likely find an LMS specialist in your small, hometown hospital. There are many sarcoma treatment centers in larger cities around the U.S., and you may find yourself traveling to one in order to get your care.
You will also meet with a medical oncologist, a surgical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, and a pathologist. You will enjoy the company of oncology nurses and traditional care nurses, and you may want to have a psychologist on your team, as well. The reason for the latter is that you will find it difficult to always handle the emotional challenges of cancer care, and many of the best treatment centers have highly trained professionals who can give you the kind of support essential to your battle against cancer.
A good dietician is also a benefit in any healthcare challenge as they are able to help you keep your health optimized even when undergoing chemical therapies or struggling with ill health.
There are many excellent doctors and healthcare professionals to meet and work with as you combat LMS. You will also need to find a local team to perform any checks or scans in the weeks and months after you complete your program. Using this approach will bring you the best outcome and prognosis.
Source
Leiomyosarcom.info. First Steps After Diagnosis. 2015. http://www.leiomyosarcoma.info/firststeps.htm#deal