Are you smart when it comes to cancer? Well, just in case you’d like to check your know-how, we’ve put together a little list of what cancer really is. Check it out:
Cancer is…
Worth investigating.
Like the cliché’ “look before you leap,” when you receive a cancer diagnosis it’s important to not rush into a treatment decision. You have time. In most cases, cancer is a slow-growing disease. You have time to learn all you can to make a calculated, deliberate plan of action for treating your disease including where to get that treatment or a second opinion, just to be sure. Because once you start a treatment plan, it’s often difficult to get a second opinion or change that treatment plan.
Cancer is…
Treatable, and often curable.
The most important decision that someone with cancer will make is where they’ll treated. National studies have shown that patients who begin their treatment at a top regional cancer center, like Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, have better survival rates than those who start their treatment elsewhere.
Cancer is…
Graded, but not on a curve.
Cancer is serious. Today’s cancer patients have more treatment options than ever before. Just as people are different, cancers are different and no two cancers will respond exactly the same to the exact same treatments. It takes cancer experts who know this, understand this, and breathe this to make the distinction and a difference in a patient’s life, especially when a new treatment might be available in a clinical study.
Cancer is…
Afraid of academic medical centers.
And it should be. Seattle Cancer Care Alliance physicians hold appointments at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington School of Medicine, home to some of the world’s best surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and pathologists. Together, this team of more than 200 cancer specialists work to ensure that your care is well planned and coordinated—from the day you walk in to the day you walk out. We have specialists and subspecialists who treat every form of cancer whether common to rare. Our tailored treatment plans address every patient’s unique needs with compassion and the latest treatment options available.
Cancer is…
In big trouble if it’s hit with the best medicine first.
Where you’re treated first can make a big difference in your outcome. Getting an accurate diagnosis and making sure your disease is staged properly all leads to getting you the best treatment. Getting these three simple features right the first time is vital to you beating your disease. Be advised, that sometimes the treatment choices you make initially can limit your future treatment options.
Cancer is…
On everybody’s mind.
Even if you don’t have cancer, you’re likely to know someone who has had it, or is going through treatment. It’s good to have a working knowledge of what’s makes a good cancer center, just in case. Cancer centers are ranked in several ways by national magazines to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In fact, it’s worth noting that SCCA, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and UW Medicine form the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Northwest. This group of organizations receives more funding for cancer research than any other NCI site in the country.
Learn more about specific cancers and things you can do to help prevent them on our website at www.seattlecca.org.
