Health Tip: Talking With Your Child’s Cancer-Care Team

If your child has cancer and is being treated by a team of specialists, frequent and open communication is essential.

The American Cancer Society suggests how to talk with team members:

Actively take part in your child’s care.
Communication should be clear, direct and honest.
Treat team members with respect.
Provide thorough and accurate information about your child’s health history.
Address any confusion, frustration or disagreement directly with the team members involved.
Develop positive and strong relationships with team members.
Maintain reasonable expectations about how much time team members can spend with the patient and your family.
Keep a running list of questions for team members.
Ask for explanations of medical or technical terms you don’t understand.
Take notes during important discussions.
Keep a log of all hospitalizations, tests and treatments.