Record of your consultation
Your Key worker is:
Their phone number is:
Your healthcare team
Diagnosing and treating cancer requires a team of experts; this team is called a multidisciplinary team (MDT). The team is made up of cancer experts. These are people who can understand what cancer cells look like and how they behave and people who can carry out tests, decide what the type of cancer is and which drugs are most effective in treating it.
There are many people in the MDT. All of them play a part in supporting you and your family throughout your care pathway. Some of the team that you may come into contact will include the following.
The gastroenterologist
A doctor who will carry out diagnostic endoscopic procedures (camera tests) - such as gastroscopy, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy. You may have had one of these tests already, or will need to have one in the future.
The colorectal surgeon
A doctor who will carry out camera tests of your bowel, explain your treatment and carry out operations to remove the cancer.
The colorectal nurse specialist
A nurse who specialises in caring for and supporting people with colorectal (bowel) problems. Colorectal nurse specialists can provide advice, support and information to patients and their families throughout diagnosis, treatment and follow-up.
The stoma nurse
A nurse who specialises in stoma care and is able to give advice. A stoma is formed surgically when a section of the bowel is brought out to the surface of the abdomen, allowing waste products (faeces) to be collected into a bag (stoma pouch). A stoma may be temporary or permanent.
Nurse endoscopist
A nurse specially trained to carry out camera tests of your bowel.
The radiologist
A doctor who is an expert in looking at x-rays and special scans from which a diagnosis is made.
The pathologist
A doctor who is an expert in looking at cancer cells under a microscope and working out how they might behave.
The oncologist
This is a visiting doctor from the Christie Hospital who is an expert in deciding which drugs or other treatments will be best for treating your type of cancer. They may specialise in drug treatments (including chemotherapy) or in radiation treatment.
You come first
To make sure you are the one who benefits, everyone in the MDT meets on a regular basis. We hold a meeting to talk about your cancer and work out what will be the best for you, as treatment is tailor-made for you.
We want to ensure that you are confident about your treatment plan, so talk to us and let us know what is important to you. We will always tell you everything we know about your cancer and explain the treatment we think is best for you.
Any questions?
Your key worker is there to help you if you are worried about anything or don’t understand something you have heard. Your key worker is your first point of contact if you need to contact any member of the MDT.
Additional information
At some point during your treatment, you may need to visit the Cancer Treatment Centre either at the Christie or the Christie at Oldham. If this is the case everything will be explained to you. Once a decision has been made on how best to treat you, the most suitable place for you to receive your treatment will be discussed with you.
Permanent Record
Your Diagnosis
Your Treatment Options
Please use this space to make a note of any questions:
Follow-up and Discharge Arrangements:
Date of Review: September 2024
Date of Next Review: September 2026
Ref No: PI_SU_324 (NCA)