Keeping Up With Your Past Can Help You in The Future
Documenting your cancer treatment is critical for your future health care.
Being a childhood cancer survivor can make compiling your complete medical history a daunting task. But the importance of keeping track of your medical history can be a lifesaving decision.
You should obtain a written history of your prior cancer treatments from the institution where you were originally treated for cancer.
The information you need to receive includes:
- Description of your specific type of cancer, extent and location of the cancer.
- All surgical procedures performed (even for central line catheters).
- Specific chemotherapy drugs and amount of each drug you received.
- Sites that received radiation therapy and how much radiation each site received.
- Any known complications experienced due to the cancer or treatment.
- Latest test results performed to monitor for adverse health effects, emphasizing potential problems that may require more frequent monitoring.
- Specific concerns for future medical follow-up and recommended monitoring schedule of tests and procedures.
As a patient, it is your responsibility to make sure that all your doctors have an up-to-date history in order to provide the best medical care. If you change doctors, be sure to get the summary updated, especially with the most recent test results. This personalized summary can provide valuable information to your doctor and help you maintain a regular schedule for follow-up visits.
