You can seek a second opinion at a diagnostic as well as treatment stage (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation). However an ideal time to seek a second opinion would be before the treatment begins. The first shot at cancer treatment often has significantly better outcomes, hence it’s always a good idea to collect as much information from one or more doctors before the treatment begins.

At the beginning stage of a treatment, most doctors would recommend you to understand the stage of the cancer and treatment alternatives available, hence before reaching out to another doctor you can choose to keep your current doctor informed about the second opinion. Being honest at every stage of planning the cancer treatment/ cancer management helps to keep your mind calm and focus on getting the right kind of treatment for the disease.

There are many types of head and neck cancers with squamous type being the most common. The treatment depends mainly on the site and extent of the cancer along with some of the patient factors like age, co-morbidities and the previous treatment received if any. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for head and neck cancers with radiation and chemotherapy as adjuncts.

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Personalized treatment is basically a customized treatment, tailored for each patient according to their disease, physical status and their needs and follows standardized treatment protocols. The disease of each patient is understood along with their physical, mental, emotional and social status in order to treat them with highest possible care and to fulfilltheir expectations from the treatment without compromising the disease clearance.

Cancer treatment is a long process and your oncologist as well as the care team’s approach of being transparent often aids the well-being of the patient. Also no two patients are the same. The side effects may alter depending on your medical condition and the type of treatment you receive. Hence it is important to understand the treatment approach suggested and the expected prognosis as well as the side effects of the treatment. This would enable you as well as the doctor to manage the side effects better.

If you would like to plan your cancer treatment journey and understand all the steps involved alongwith the support that you would require medically, physically, mentally and financially, the most important part of the cancer treatment is the patient and the relatives. An Oncosurgeon, Radiation Oncologist, Medical Oncologist, Psychologist, Nutritionist, Speech and swallow therapist form the core of the cancer treatment process.