Talking to Your Doctor About ... Video Transcript

Webcast Transcript

But initially a woman may need help digesting what's being said.

GENEROSA GRANA, MD: In the first visits with her physicians, the woman should prepare herself by gathering people to go with her for these visits. These are difficult visits that shouldn't be done alone, if there is a support system that can be tapped into.

The other thing that a woman should do is prepare by reviewing materials regarding breast cancer prior to her visit.

ANNOUNCER: Having an open dialogue with your doctor, knowing your options and keeping well-informed will prove to be a valuable tool for any patient fighting breast cancer.

STEVEN JONES, MD: I think getting the right information again is crucial so there are no big surprises. I like to spell out exactly what is going to be happening so somewhere, a few months into this, there is not suddenly a big surprise like "Oh, I forgot to tell you, you need seven weeks of radiation therapy." I mean that's a disastrous type of surprise.

GENEROSA GRANA, MD: Helping a woman gather the information that she needs at the very beginning will prepare her very well for what is to come. The more prepared the woman is the better she will be able to deal with the difficult decisions that are ahead of her, and the better she will be able to handle the side effects of the treatments that are in store for her.

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