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■ What are my treatment options? Which do you recommend for me? Why? ■ What are the expected benefits of each kind of treatment? ■ What are the risks and possible side effects of each treatment? How can side effects be managed? ■ What can I do to prepare for treatment? ■ Will I need to stay in the hospital? If so, for how long? ■ What is the treatment likely to cost? Will my insurance cover it? ■ How will treatment affect my normal activities? ■ Would a treatment research study be right for me? 13 Second Opinion Before starting treatment, you might want a second opinion about your diagnosis and treatment options. Some people worry that the doctor will be offended if they ask for a second opinion. Usually the opposite is true. Most doctors welcome a second opinion. And many health insurance companies will pay for a second opinion if you or your doctor requests it. Some insurance companies actually require a second opinion. If you get a second opinion, the second doctor may agree with your first doctor’s diagnosis and treatment recommendation. Or, the second doctor may suggest another approach. Either way, you have more information and perhaps a greater sense of control. You can feel more confident about the decisions you make, knowing that you’ve looked at all of your options.
It may take some time and effort to gather your medical records and see another doctor. In most cases, it’s not a problem to take several weeks to get a second opinion. The delay in starting treatment usually will not make treatment less effective. To make sure, you should discuss this delay with your doctor. Some people with lung cancer need treatment right away. For example, a doctor may advise a person with small cell lung cancer not to delay treatment more than a week or two. Surgery Surgery may be an option for people with early-stage lung cancer. The surgeon usually removes only the part of the lung that contains cancer. Most people who have surgery for lung cancer will have the lobe of the lung that contains the cancer removed. This is a lobectomy. In some cases, the surgeon will remove the tumor along with less tissue than an entire lobe, or the surgeon will remove the entire lung. The surgeon also removes nearby lymph nodes. After lung surgery, air and fluid will collect in the chest. A chest tube that was inserted during surgery will allow the fluid to drain. Also, a nurse or respiratory therapist will teach you coughing and breathing exercises. You’ll need to do these exercises several times a day. The chest tube will be removed a few days after surgery. The time it takes to heal after surgery is different for everyone. Your hospital stay may be a week or longer. It may be several weeks before you return to normal activities. 15 Medicine can help control your pain after surgery. Before surgery, you should discuss the plan for pain relief with your doctor or nurse. After surgery, your doctor can adjust the plan if you need more pain relief.
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