What information should you bring to your first appointment?
When you go to your first appointment with your gynecologic oncologist, you may want to bring a friend or relative for moral support, to help you remember all your questions, and to take notes.
You should also bring:
- Your gynecologic and obstetric history
- Your family medical history, including a list of family members who have had cancer and what cancer they have had
- Results of any biopsies and imaging tests performed by your primary care doctor such as an ultrasound, CT scan and MRI. You may be able to have these forwarded directly from your doctor’s office to the gynecologic oncologist. If possible, bring a CD-ROM of the pictures from any imaging tests that you have had. These can be obtained by the facility where you had the testing.
- Your surgical history, including any previous operative reports if you have them
- A list of any medications that you are currently taking, including vitamins and other dietary supplements
- A list of all doctors you are currently seeing for ongoing care
- Your health insurance information
- A list of any questions that you wish to ask the gynecologic oncologist, such as the impact of your cancer on possible future childbearing
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