What Happens at Your First Oncology Appointment?

## Before You Arrive Before your first appointment, the oncology office will typically request records from your referring doctor or hospital, including: - Pathology reports from any biopsies - Imaging studies (CT, PET, MRI) and their reports - Recent blood work - Operative notes if surgery was performed - List of current medications Bring copies of these yourself if possible — don't assume they arrived. Bring your insurance cards, a photo ID, and a list of all medications including supplements. ## Who You'll Meet A first oncology visit often involves more people than a typical doctor appointment: - **Your oncologist** — will review your case and discuss diagnosis and treatment - **Oncology nurse or nurse practitioner** — may take your history and vitals, review medications, explain the treatment plan - **Nurse navigator** — many cancer centers have patient navigators whose job is to coordinate your care and answer questions. Ask for yours if one isn't offered. - **Social worker** — may meet with you to assess support needs, financial concerns, emotional wellbeing ## What the Visit Typically Looks Like **1. History and physical exam** (~30–45 minutes) The oncologist will review your entire medical history, ask about your symptoms, family history, and prior treatments. A physical exam will be performed. **2. Review of records** The oncologist reviews your pathology report, scans, and labs. They may show you imaging or explain findings. **3. Discussion of diagnosis and staging** This is where your diagnosis is confirmed or refined. Additional testing (further imaging, biomarker testing, repeat biopsy) may be ordered before a final treatment plan is made. **4. Treatment discussion** Once the picture is clear, treatment options are presented. This may happen at the first visit or at a follow-up after additional testing returns. **5. Questions** This is your time. Come with written questions (see our article on questions to ask your oncologist). ## Bring a Support Person Always bring a trusted person with you. When you're stressed and receiving significant medical information, it is nearly impossible to absorb everything. A second set of ears is invaluable. They can take notes, ask follow-up questions, and help you remember what was said. ## Take Notes or Record the Visit Ask if you can record the conversation. Most oncologists will agree. If not, have your support person take detailed notes. You will not remember everything — this is a documented phenomenon in medical research. ## What Will NOT Happen at the First Visit - You will not necessarily leave with a complete treatment plan. Additional testing is often needed first. - You will not need to make any treatment decisions that day. Take time to process. - Nothing is decided without your informed consent. ## After the First Visit - You may need additional imaging, blood work, or tumor biomarker testing - A tumor board meeting (multidisciplinary team review) may be scheduled - A follow-up appointment will be set to discuss the treatment plan - This is a good time to consider seeking a second opinion