Maintaining Records & Plans

Your Medical Records
Breast cancer treatment is complex.  It can last for months or years and involve multiple doctors and different kinds of therapy.  From day one, be sure that you collect, maintain, and organize your medical records.  Start a file – or have someone help you create one – that contains your pathology reports, lab reports, visit and procedure summaries, notes from appointments with your doctors, and the names and doses of any drugs you are taking.  Maintain the file both for your cancer and for your other conditions. 

Keep good track of your bills and insurance claims and payments – monitor them very closely and don't be afraid to ask questions of either your doctor or your insurer.  You will be much better able to manage your breast cancer and treatment if you keep the volume of information organized from the very beginning.

Many medical centers now have online patient portals that allow you access to your medical records.  If your center offers this option, sign up and use it regularly.  These are very accurate, easy to access, and useful tools that often provide the opportunity to communicate with your doctors. 

 
Creating a Treatment Plan
Consider writing a treatment plan when you are diagnosed, and understand the therapy options from your doctors.  The plan will help you anticipate what will happen and understand events as they do.  A written treatment summary and plan is important when you change doctors, whether you move from one center to another, or begin receiving follow-up care from your primary physician or a survivorship specialist. 

Several excellent online tools are available  to help you develop and maintain your plan.  If your center has a survivorship clinic, the treatment team there will work with you.