Day 1: Just Diagnosed with Lung Cancer

Typically, being diagnosed with lung cancer means that there is a tumor in your lung. The cancer cells may or may not have spread to surrounding organs depending on the stage of your disease so your doctor will need to find out. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Blacks have a higher risk of developing lung cancer than other ethnicities. In fact, Black men make up the highest percentage of people who are getting diagnosed with the disease. While there are multiple factors that lead to this happening, you can expect to make different changes to your life as you undertake treatment and recovery. By doing this, you’ll ensure that you live well.

1. You’ll Have A Schedule For Doctor’s Visits

When you go to your first doctor’s visit, there will be a lot of information to process.

One thing you should expect is a schedule of when you’ll have to see the doctor again. Apart from follow-up tests, you’ll need to discuss everything about your treatment options.

2. You’ll Likely Work With A Team Of Specialists

While you’re working with an oncologist for your cancer, you’ll also need specialists who focus on the lungs and heart.

Additionally, different oncologists handle radiation and chemotherapy treatments. If you need to undergo surgery, you’ll meet with a thoracic surgeon.

3. You Might Need Different Treatment Options

Your doctor will use the information about the stage and type of your lung cancer to determine your treatment.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you’ll only need one treatment. That’s one of the reasons you’ll have multiple follow-up doctor’s visits to see if the treatment is working.

4. You Have To Be Prepared For Side Effects

The treatments for lung cancer include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy among others. All of these options have side effects that you should discuss with your doctor. While talking about what to expect, you should ask how to manage them. Some of them can