Coordinating Several Cancer Specialists

This page is for patients and families dealing with several cancer doctors at once. It covers how to find out who leads your care, what records to keep, how to get a written plan, and what to do when specialists disagree.

Cancer care is built out of specialists who each do one part extremely well. Medical oncology. Surgery. Radiation oncology. Pathology. Radiology. Then, depending on the case, cardiology, endocrinology, pain medicine, and more.

What the system does not automatically supply is a person whose job is the whole picture. Each specialist owns their piece. The joins between the pieces belong to nobody unless someone claims them.

That is the actual problem this page is about. It is not that any one clinician is doing a poor job. It is that the space between them is unowned, and that is where plans stall, tests get repeated, and two teams each wait for the other.

NCI's description of a palliative care team gives a sense of the scale. It is delivered by a multidisciplinary team "that may include doctors, nurses, registered dieticians, pharmacists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, chaplains, psychologists, and social workers."

That is one service. A cancer treatment plan usually involves several services at once, each with its own scheduling, its own portal, and its own idea of what happens next.

Ask this in plain words at the next appointment. Who is coordinating my care overall, and what is the best way to reach them?

The answer varies by center. It may be a nurse navigator, a nurse coordinator, an advanced practice provider, or the medical oncologist's office. Sometimes the honest answer is that nobody is, and that is worth knowing too.

Then ask a second question for each phase. Who is the lead clinician while I am having chemotherapy? Who is the lead during radiation? Who is the lead after surgery? The answer changes, and knowing when it changes prevents most of the confusion.

NCI recommends keeping a medical information sheet somewhere you can get to easily. It says it should include "names and contact information of the people on your health care team" and "diagnosis information, such as type and stage of your cancer."

Alongside that, NCI's guidance on tracking care says to keep:

• Dates of each medical visit.
• Tests and procedures received, with dates and results.
• Treatments received, with dates.
• Side effects and symptoms you have had, with dates.
• Any medicines prescribed.
• Other supportive or complementary care received.

Keep copies of treatment plans and results. A folder works. Photos on your computer work. One sheet you can hand across a desk beats five portals you cannot log into from a waiting room.

AHRQ's work on medicines shows the pattern clearly, and it applies far beyond medicines.

Medication reconciliation means checking your full list of medicines each time your care changes hands. AHRQ's definition names the dangerous moments: admission, transfer, and discharge. AHRQ notes that clinicians "might not be able to easily access patients' complete pre-admission medication lists," which produces omissions, duplications, or incorrect dosages.

Every boundary crossing carries that same risk. A referral, a scan done at a different site, a hospital admission, a change of oncologist. Treat each one as a place where something can quietly go missing, and check.

NCI's guidance on communication in cancer care is practical.

• "Make a list of the questions you want to ask before your visit."
• "Have a family member go with you when you meet with your doctor."
• "Ask for a copy of the information so you can read it after your visit."
• You can ask to record the discussion, with the doctor's permission.

Add one habit of your own to that list: say so, at the time, when something is confusing or unclear. This is especially important when a decision is being made.

With the doctor's permission, a recording helps most when you have several doctors. When three specialists have each given you a version of the plan, a recording settles what was actually said, rather than what you remember at midnight.

An update tells you what happened. A plan tells you what happens next and who does it. Ask for these six things, in writing:

• The full diagnosis, including stage.
• The sequence of treatment: what comes first, second, third.
• Which clinician owns each step.
• What has to be true before the next step can start.
• What would change the plan.
• The date of the next review, and who calls whom.

The fifth item is the one that saves the most time. If you know that a pending result could redirect everything, you can stop guessing in the meantime.

When two clinics are each waiting for the other, you can break the deadlock yourself.

HHS states that you have the right to see and get copies of your health information, including lab results, medications, health history and medical images. You can also request that your doctor share your information directly with others.

HHS sets time limits and fee rules for these requests. Ask the provider for their process and check the details at hhs.gov/hipaa. We could not open the HHS pages when we last checked this page, so confirm current rules there.

This is normal and it is not a scandal. Different specialties weigh different risks.

Ask each one the same three questions.

• What are you trying to protect against with this recommendation?
• What would change your mind?
• Have you spoken with the other clinician directly about this?

If the disagreement is significant, a second opinion is a reasonable next step. NCI says many patients consult other specialists and most physicians see this as a reasonable part of care. NCI also notes that many insurance plans cover second opinions or require them before certain procedures.

If you cannot find someone for a second opinion, NCI's Cancer Information Service can help at 1-800-4-CANCER, which is 1-800-422-6237.

Ask which single number to call when something goes wrong at 2am, and which team answers it. Ask what happens on weekends and holidays.

Put that number in your phone and on the fridge. In an emergency nobody wants to work out which of five specialists to page.

Some of the most useful roles are not offered automatically.

Palliative care is the clearest example. NCI states that it "may be provided at any point during cancer care, from diagnosis to the end of life," and that "anyone can receive palliative care regardless of their age or stage of disease." It is not hospice, which NCI defines as beginning "when curative treatment is no longer the goal of care."

Because palliative care teams are already multidisciplinary, they often end up doing a good deal of the coordination work. Ask whether a referral is available at your center.

• Communication in Cancer Care (PDQ), Patient Version — National Cancer Institute
• Managing Cancer Costs and Medical Information — National Cancer Institute
• Finding Health Care Services — National Cancer Institute
• Palliative Care in Cancer — National Cancer Institute
• Support for Families: Childhood Cancer — National Cancer Institute
• Medication Reconciliation — AHRQ Patient Safety Network
• Your Rights Under HIPAA: Get It. Check It. Use It. — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• How Timely Must a Covered Entity Be in Responding to Requests for Access? — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services