Rare Cancer Support Guide 1 - Diagnosis booklet

The Diagnosis section of the Rare Cancer Support Guide can help relieve some of the uncertainty that comes with a cancer diagnosis. It explains what to expect and where to start, with answers to some common questions.

The Diagnosis booklet covers:

• Emotions after diagnosis
  The mixed emotions you may feel, and where to find support
• Informing yourself
  How to find credible and relevant information
• Preparing for initial appointments
  Tips for attending appointments and suggested questions to ask
• How a diagnosis is made
  An outline of different diagnostic methods
• Understanding a prognosis
  What a prognosis is based on, staging and grading, and considerations
• Childhood cancers
  Finding support, treatment, and financial resources and options
• Tool: Communicating with your healthcare providers
  Important questions to ask and things to let your healthcare team know
• Understanding your rights
  Your rights as a patient, addressing your concerns, and asking for a second opinion

The advice comes directly from patients and carers who have been there, and from the knowledge of many health care professionals across the cancer care sector. It also includes the lessons we’ve learned at RCA over many years of supporting people living with rare cancer in Australia. Each translated version is bilingual and includes the English source text.