|
What
is in my medical record?
Your health care providers will keep a medical record, often
called a chart, which is a composite of the physician's consultation
and progress notes which document each visit. The chart reflects
the care required for a person with cancer and includes notes
from nurses, social workers, nutritionists, health educators,
and other providers involved in your care. This chart also
contains laboratory, radiology, pathology, and other reports.
Correspondence to and from your physicians and other documents
are also kept in your medical record. Some patients find it
helpful to review their own charts. If questions arise in
this review, it is extremely important that these be discussed
with your health care professional.
top
What information
is obtained from my history and physical exam?
By taking a history, your health care providers can obtain
information about your symptoms. The types of questions that
you most likely will be asked about your symptoms will be
the duration, change over a period of time, or things that
make the symptom get better or worse. For example, if you
have pain(s), where is it, what is the severity, and what
can be done to relieve the pain. By doing a systematic review
of associated signs and symptoms your providers can uncover
clinical indications of organ or functional problems which
may be related to your cancer or unrelated medical conditions.
top
What information
do my providers expect to get from my x-rays?
X-rays and scans are used to image the body in order to look
for evidence of tumor(s). Usually tumor images appear differently
than normal organ images. For example, in the lungs, cancer
can be distinguished from normal lung tissue. CT scans provide
three-dimensional composite x-ray images. MRI scans provide
a three-dimensional composite of images based on different
physical properties of cancer compared to normal tissue. Nuclear
medicine scans are sometimes used to image the bones for evidence
of tumor replacing normal bone called bone metastases.
top
What
information will my providers get from my laboratory studies?
A blood sample is usually sent to the laboratory for analysis
of the three main cellular elements (red blood cells, white
blood cells, and platelets), and a chemical analysis of organ
function including the liver and kidneys. Additional testing
may be done looking for "tumor markers," proteins
that can be found in the blood which are abnormally produced
by certain cancers. Samples of other body fluids may also
be sent to the laboratory for analysis.
top
|
