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Health Care Team

You are an important part of your health care team, and you are encouraged to take an active role in your care. If you have any questions or concerns, write them down, and talk to a member of your care team at your next appointment. Asking questions lets your healthcare team understand what is important to you.

What is an Oncologist?

What is a Primary Nurse?

What is a Radiation Therapist?

What is a Social Worker?

What is a Spiritual Care Specialist?

What is a Dietitian?

What is a Pharmacist?

What is an Oncologist?

An Oncologist is a doctor who specializes in caring for people who have cancer.

A Radiation Oncologist uses radiation therapy to treat a person’s cancer. A Medical Oncologist uses chemotherapy (drugs) to treat a person’s cancer. A Surgical Oncologist uses surgery to treat a person’s cancer.

What is a Primary Nurse?

A Primary Nurse works closely with your health care team and helps coordinate your care.

Your Primary Nurse will:

• Teach you about your treatment
• Teach you how to manage side effects
• Offer support to you and your family during your treatment and follow-up care
• Give you information about services that are available in your home community

Primary Nurses cannot be reached during business hours because they work in the clinics. Click Calling LRCP to learn how to reach your Primary Nurse.

What is a Radiation Therapist?

Radiation Therapists deliver your daily radiation treatments and work closely with oncologists and nurses. They help plan your treatment, make special moulds, and operate the machines that give radiation to your body.

Radiation Therapists will also teach you about side effects that might happen with radiation treatment and how to manage them.

What is a Social Worker?

Social Workers provide counselling to patients and their families. They are there to help you deal with the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis.

Social Workers can help you:

• Understand and cope with your own and others' feelings about your illness
• Talk with your children, family members or friends about your illness
• Adjust to the changes cancer has made in your life
• Learn ways to manage the worry and stress of living with cancer
• Find out about financial services that may be available to you
• Talk with your health care team
• Find support services in your community

To make an appointment with a Social Worker, call 519-685-8622. No referral is necessary.

You can also ask a member of your health care team to refer you to a social worker.

What is a Spiritual Care Specialist?

The Spiritual Care Specialist can help you and your family:

• Gain strength through your experience with cancer
• Work through spiritual questions and distress
• Learn different ways to meditate and pray to lessen fear, anxiety and suffering

To make an appointment, call Supportive Care at 519-685-8622 in and ask to speak with the Spiritual Care Specialist . No referral is necessary.

You can also ask a member of your health care team to refer you to the Spiritual Care Specialist.

What is a Dietitian?

If you have questions about your diet or you have problems with eating, you can talk to a Dietitian. A Dietitian can answer your questions about:

• Unexpected weight loss
• Trouble chewing and swallowing
• Taste changes
• Sore or dry mouth, and throat
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation bloating and gas
• Loss of appetite
• Feeling full quickly
• Oral nutritional supplements
• Tube feeding concerns

Dietitians can also talk to you about the use of special diets, vitamins and minerals, and herbal treatments known as complementary therapies.

To make an appointment with a dietitian, call 519-685-8622. No referral is necessary.

You can also ask a member of your health care team to refer you to a dietitian.

What is a Pharmacist ?

The Pharmacist is available to talk about any concerns or questions you have about your medicines. The Pharmacist can give you information about:

• How to take your medicines
• Possible side effects
• How the cancer drug might react with medicines you are already taking
• How the cancer drug might react with herbal products, vitamins and other supplements you are taking
• Drug plan coverage
• Cost of the medicines