Survivorship Houston 2008: June 1, 2008 Methodist Training Center

Cancer Survivorship

Tools for the cancer survivor

These tips, provided by other survivors and healthcare professionals, may ease your journey.

Medical Records

Make sure you have complete copies of your medical records, including:

• Medical history
• Cancer diagnosis
• The type of surgery; chemotherapy regimens and dosages; the number and location of radiation treatments
• Pathology reports
• Imaging studies: X-ray films, CT scans, PET scans, etc.
• Any complications encountered during treatment
• A list of possible late side effects

This information will be invaluable if you change physicians.

Legal Rights

It is important to know your civil rights as a cancer survivor. The Americans with Disabilities Act makes it illegal to be denied a loan or other financial service based on your cancer history. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights has basic information to help you understand the rules and process your complaints.

In addition, you should know the regulations in your state, which may have policies to help cancer survivors deal with job rights, health insurance claims and protection of assets. Some states even have independent review boards to arbitrate claims at no cost.

Advance Directives

Advance directives allow you to plan for your medical care if or when you are unable to convey your wishes to others. While advance directives vary from state to state, they fall into three basic types:

The medical power of attorney is a legal document that gives someone the authority to make healthcare decisions when you become incapacitated. A medical power of attorney takes precedence over any other document.

The living will communicates your wishes about specific types of life-sustaining medical care but takes effect only when you are in the terminal or irreversible phase of illness or injury.

The out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order, which must be signed by a physician, allows you to refuse cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when outside the hospital. If you do not have this order, healthcare providers may do everything medically possible to keep you alive. Each state has its own requirements. Learn more at the U.S. Living Will Registry website.

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