Help with making treatment decisions

When you have decisions to make, it is often useful to write things down. This can help you to think about all the different parts of your situation.

One useful technique is to write a list of the benefits and disadvantages of the treatment or treatments you have been offered.

Try to think about:

• the aim of the treatment
• how successful the treatment is likely to be
• the possible side effects
• how often you will need to go to the hospital and for how long
• the effects of the treatment on your family and social life
• the effects on your work and finances
• what happens if you do not have a particular treatment.

Other useful things to ask yourself:

• Who do you have around you to help practically and help you cope emotionally?
• How have you made sometimes difficult decisions in the past?
• What are the things you value in life and how might you stay connected with these even during treatment? For example, if work is important to you how can you keep in touch with colleagues?

You can make an appointment with your cancer doctor or specialist nurse to discuss this with them. You do not have to make a decision on your own. You and your cancer doctor can decide together.

Talking to family and friends may also help.

Your doctor can help you to understand the possible benefits and risks of different treatments. This can help you make the right decision for you.

We have more information explaining benefits and risks.

Your cancer doctor will prescribe a treatment because they believe that its benefits will outweigh any side effects. They may use statistics to tell you what they know about a treatment. Statistics are a way of presenting information using numbers. They are based on large numbers of people.

They cannot tell you exactly what is going to happen to you. But they can give you an idea of how likely each outcome is.

You might find some statistics helpful when making treatment decisions.

Some people might decide that they do not want to have any treatment. Your cancer team must respect your decision. But they will want to make sure you have all the information you need to make your decision. Your doctor and nurse need to know you have understood all your treatment options. They can also talk to you about what might happen without treatment and the supportive care they can give you. You do not have to explain why you do not want treatment. But it may help your healthcare team understand your concerns and give you the best care.

When making treatment decisions, there is not always a clear right or wrong answer. Your cancer doctor may not be able to say for sure whether a treatment will work, or how it may affect you.

Uncertainty can be hard to deal with. It sometimes gets easier as time passes. Talking to family, friends and healthcare professionals about how you feel can usually help.

Some people find it useful to talk to a counsellor or psychologist. Your local cancer information centre or support group may have a counsellor you can talk to. Or your healthcare team might be able to refer you to a psychologist or counsellor.

You may feel overwhelmed by all the information you have been given. Or you may feel under pressure to do what you think your family and friends want. It may help to think about how you have approached big decisions in the past:

• Are you guided by your first impressions and instincts?
• Do you usually need to think things through for a long time?
• Do you make decisions alone, or after talking through your options with family or friends?

If you can, taking a short break may help. You can then look at all the information together. If you need to decide quickly, it may help to get a good night’s sleep and make your decision the next day.

There is no right or wrong decision. People make different choices for different reasons. Your decision is the right one for you at the time you make it.

Doctors only usually offer a choice of treatments if they work equally well.

You may be able to change your mind about a treatment. If your situation changes, your choices may be different. Your healthcare team will always support you and respect the choices you make.