Learn how to help
Stay well-informed Research shows that pat ients w ho are well-informed and supported do better. You can help your loved one by: l U nderstanding their diagnosis, treatment and prognosis to feel more confident helping them make the hard decisions on their journey l U sing only trusted resources when researching your loved one’s condition — look for websites ending in .gov, .org or .edu Know the cancer care team Choosing the right doctor can be hard. The best way to help your loved one choose a doctor is to encourage them to ask: Do I feel comfortable with them? Do they have a lot of experience treating melanoma? Cancer treatment should be managed by a multidisciplinary team, which means it includes people from many different specialties. Each person adds something different to ensure they consider all aspects of your loved one’s care.
See questions to ask the cancer care team on page 18 of this booklet.
To learn who might be part of your loved one’s multidisciplinary team, see page 16.
melanoma.org The MRF’s website is a valuable tool that can provide information and support to caregivers, patients, family and friends. Once you have been touched by melanoma — either as a patient or as a caregiver — you become part of a community. It is not a community anyone wants to join, but you will find no better source for support and information during your melanoma journey than the MRF’s website (link above).
MRF
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