How will a patient know the treatment has worked?
After patients finish radiation treatments they talk with the doctor, are, examined by the, doctor and have several medical tests. These tests show the doctor if the tumor has gone away. If the tumor has gone away it means the cancer has “completely responded” to the treatment. However, cancer isn’t considered “cured” for several years after treatment ends. Sometimes radiation therapy is given to relieve a cancer patient’s symptoms. The symptoms may end while the radiation therapy is given. Even if the symptoms end, the radiation therapy continues to help make sure the symptoms don’t return. Sometimes the symptoms don’t go away until after all the radiation treatments are completed.
Related Questions
- What do I do if I have a patient for who requires their scan urgently because they need treatment before a specific date (i.e. a patient on the 62 day treatment pathway)?
- Can I give my patient advocate the right to make decisions to withhold or withdraw life sustaining treatment?
- How will a patient know the treatment has worked?
