How to Choose a Cancer Treatment Facility
After being diagnosed with leukemia or any blood-related cancer, you will face one of the most important decisions of the treatment process: Where is the best place to undergo cancer treatment?
One of the first steps in narrowing down the right location is to speak with your primary care physician. He or she typically knows of and can recommend an accredited facility. Another major consideration in the decision process is your insurance company. Most companies allow only certain facilities or cancer doctors as part of their coverage.
The size and type of the facility you will attend largely depends on what is available in your hometown and on your specific cancer diagnosis. Among the facilities commonly recommended for treatment are: the local hospital, a comprehensive cancer center, or a clinical oncology program.
If you need more help tracking down the right facility, there are number of places to which you can turn. Several cancer-related organizations provide lists and reviews of cancer centers. Some of the organizations that provide this information are the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) and the American Cancer Society (ACS).
As you move further along in the selection process, there are other key points to consider. Ask yourself and the center's chief oncologist, i.e. cancer doctor, the following questions:
- Does this facility offer the newest treatments available?
- Will clinical trials be available?
- Is there a pharmacy on the premises or nearby?
It is also helpful to talk with other cancer survivors being treated at the same facility. Be sure to ask them what they consider to be the facility's advantages and disadvantages.
More information to help guide you in your search is available through the following organizations:
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Information Resource Center
1-800-955-4572
www.leukemia-lymphoma.org
American Cancer Society
1-800-ACS-2345
www.cancer.org
Association of Community Cancer Centers
1-301-984-9496
www.accc-cancer.org
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare (JCAHO)
1-630-792-5800
www.jcaho.org
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