Have you had a cancer diagnosed in Brisbane or SEQ and feel confused about your treatment options?
With over 40 years of experience in treating cancer patients in public and private hospitals in Brisbane and Southeast Queensland I understand that patients can feel lost and overwhelmed at times. As a registered Medical Oncologist, Clinical Haematologist and Palliative Care Physician, I’m ideally suited to provide a cancer second opinion, expert advice and help with understanding your diagnosis and treatment options.
Are you unsure about the cancer tests you’ve undergone?
Perhaps you’re not clear why some tests and scans are being ordered and why others aren’t. Are you having difficulty understanding your test results and terms such as tumour, malignancy and ‘growth’? Are you unsure of treatment terms such as adjuvant, neo-adjuvant, palliative and curative? Together we can review your results and ensure that you have all the information you require to make the best decisions about your cancer treatment.
Are you uncertain about the cancer treatment you’ve been offered?
Or perhaps you’re confused about why the treatment can vary for the same type of cancer. It’s not unusual for doctors in different hospitals and with different training to recommend different treatments. For some cancers, there’s a recognised “Gold Standard” treatment but for other cancers there may be more than one treatment option. If there is more than one option, this usually means that the treatments have been shown in medical research trials to give “identical” (or non-inferior) results. The choice of treatment can vary according to a number of factors including the protocols that were used where the doctor trained, how the doctor’s patients have responded to the treatments in the past, and the side effects that may be experienced.
Uncertain about the prognosis and survival you have been given.
The questions as to “what is my life expectancy”, “Can I survive this cancer?”, “what is the life expectancy?”, can cause anguish. Another opinion can help sort the options out away from the anxiety of your original place of diagnosis.
I can provide expert guidance and a second opinion in Brisbane or by Skype.
As an Oncologist, I have expertise in the management of breast, lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancers and their symptoms, including pain and nausea management. As a Haematologist, I am able to order and interpret your blood test results. If your cancer requires monitoring, CT and PET scans and MRIs can be arranged. I am especially interested in tumour markers for cancer monitoring.
If these issues and choices seem confusing to you, then contact me for a helping hand in understanding your cancer diagnosis and treatment options. My aim is to help you feel better informed and in control of your treatment path so that you can work with your Oncologist and other specialists to achieve the best outcome possible.
Please note that I provide medical advice and consultations regarding cancer diagnosis, prognosis and treatment options. I’m not currently prescribing chemotherapy, immunotherapy or other targeted cancer therapies but can advise on these options and refer patients to appropriate medical specialists if required.
Contact Dr Hawson for an appointment