Hearing the words “you have cancer” can make everything that follows feel unfamiliar. Suddenly, there are appointments to schedule, medical terms to understand, tests to complete, treatment options to discuss, and important decisions to make. For patients and their families, one of the first questions is often very simple:
Where do we go from here?
Medical oncology and other cancer-care services become especially important when cancer is suspected or diagnosed. Depending on the individual situation, the care team may include medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists, as well as nurses and other specialists. Together, they help confirm the diagnosis, determine the type and stage of the cancer, discuss treatment options, and develop an appropriate care plan.
The cancer-care team may remain involved throughout the journey—during active treatment, while monitoring how the cancer is responding, when managing symptoms or treatment-related side effects, and during follow-up care.
For some people, active treatment takes place over a relatively short period. For others, treatment, medication, monitoring, and follow-up may continue for months or years. Understanding who may be involved, and what each stage is intended to accomplish, can make the process feel a little less overwhelming.
I reorganized the material into shorter sections, grouped the professionals by their roles, and clarified several points. In particular, an abnormal screening result is not a cancer diagnosis; staging describes the extent and spread of confirmed cancer; and palliative care may be provided alongside treatment—it does not necessarily mean end-of-life care. These points follow National Cancer Institute guidance. (NCI)
What Is Medical Oncology?
Medical oncology is the area of medicine concerned with diagnosing and treating cancer in adults using medicines. Many of these are called systemic treatments because they travel through the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells in different parts of the body.
Depending on the type of cancer and the individual treatment plan, systemic treatment may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, hormone therapy—also called endocrine therapy—and other anticancer medicines.
A medical oncologist may also provide supportive care and help coordinate treatment recommended by other specialists. Cancer care, however, is rarely provided by only one healthcare professional.
The doctors involved may include medical oncologists, hematologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists. The wider care team may include specialized oncology nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, dietitians, psychologists, social workers, and palliative-care professionals.
Palliative care focuses on relieving symptoms, managing treatment-related side effects, and supporting quality of life. It may be provided alongside cancer treatment and does not necessarily mean that treatment has stopped.
This coordinated approach is known as multidisciplinary care. Each healthcare professional contributes a different area of expertise while working toward one treatment and care plan.
When Does Oncology Care Become Relevant?
Oncology care does not begin at exactly the same point for everyone. Some people are referred to an oncology specialist while cancer is still being investigated. Others meet their oncology team after the diagnosis has been confirmed.
Although every person’s experience is different, the journey often includes several stages.
Investigation and Diagnosis
Sometimes a possible cancer is identified through routine screening, before a person has symptoms. At other times, someone visits a doctor because of a symptom or physical change, such as a lump, persistent unexplained pain, unusual bleeding, changes in bowel habits, or another concern.
These symptoms can have many causes and do not necessarily mean that a person has cancer. However, further assessment may be needed to understand what is happening.
The investigation may include a medical history and physical examination, blood or other laboratory tests, imaging scans, endoscopy, a biopsy, or other diagnostic procedures. For many cancers, a biopsy allows a pathologist to examine tissue and confirm whether cancer is present.
It is important to remember that a screening test is not the same as a cancer diagnosis. An abnormal screening result usually means that additional testing is needed.
Understanding the Type and Stage
Once cancer has been confirmed, the medical team may need more information before recommending treatment. The exact tests required will depend on the type of cancer.
Doctors may need to determine:
- where the cancer began;
- the exact type of cancer;
- its biological or molecular characteristics;
- the size and location of the tumor;
- whether nearby lymph nodes are affected; and
- whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
This process contributes to what is known as staging. Staging describes how much cancer is present and whether it has spread. Staging systems vary according to the type of cancer.
This information helps the medical team recommend appropriate treatment and explain what the treatment is intended to accomplish.
Planning Treatment
There is no single treatment that is appropriate for everyone. A treatment plan may involve one treatment or a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or other specialized treatments.
Recommendations depend on several factors, including the type and stage of the cancer, its biological characteristics, previous treatments, other medical conditions, the patient’s overall health, and the patient’s needs and preferences.
The goal of treatment may be to:
- cure the cancer;
- reduce the risk of the cancer returning;
- shrink a tumor before another treatment;
- control the cancer or slow its growth;
- relieve symptoms; or
- maintain or improve quality of life.
Patients should feel comfortable asking their doctors: What is the goal of this treatment, and what can I expect from it?
Understanding the purpose of a recommended treatment can help patients and their families participate more confidently in decisions about their care.
If you would like to record the consultation, always ask the healthcare professional for permission first.
Questions You May Want to Ask
Good cancer care includes good communication. You do not need to ask every question during the first appointment, but writing down your concerns can help you remember what matters most.
About the diagnosis: What exact type of cancer do I have? Has the stage been determined? Do I need additional tests? Are there biological or molecular characteristics that may influence my treatment?
About treatment: What is the goal of the recommended treatment? What options are available, and why is this particular approach being recommended? How often will I receive treatment, how long may it continue, and might any part of my care need to take place outside Curaçao?
About side effects: What side effects are possible, and which can be prevented or treated? Which symptoms should I report immediately? Whom should I contact outside normal office hours? Are there any medicines, vitamins, herbal products, foods, or supplements I should avoid?
About everyday life: Can I continue working or exercising? Could treatment affect fertility, sexuality, or menopause? Should I follow any special nutrition guidance? Might I need physiotherapy, rehabilitation, or other practical support?
Not every question needs to be answered at once. Cancer care is an ongoing conversation, and patients should feel comfortable asking for an explanation to be repeated or expressed in simpler language.
Understanding Treatment Side Effects
Cancer itself and cancer treatments can cause side effects. These vary greatly from person to person, even among people receiving the same treatment. Possible effects may include fatigue, nausea, changes in appetite or bowel habits, mouth or skin problems, pain, peripheral neuropathy, changes in blood counts, sleep difficulties, emotional distress, or reduced physical functioning.
Do not assume that a troubling symptom simply has to be tolerated. Tell your medical team what you are experiencing. Many side effects can be prevented, reduced, or managed, while others may require urgent medical assessment. Ask your oncology team which warning signs apply to your particular treatment, whom to contact, and what to do outside normal clinic hours.
Medication and Supplement Safety
People understandably want to do everything possible to support their health and recovery. This may lead them to consider vitamins, herbal products, teas, supplements, traditional remedies, or products marketed as “immune boosters.” However, natural does not automatically mean harmless.
Some products can interact with cancer medicines, change how treatment is absorbed or processed by the body, affect the liver or blood clotting, or increase side effects. Tell your oncologist, nurse, doctor, or pharmacist about everything you use, including non-prescription products.
Do not stop prescribed cancer treatment or replace it with an alternative therapy without first discussing the possible consequences with your medical team. Before beginning any new supplement or complementary treatment, ask whether it is safe to use with your cancer treatment.
Practical Support During Treatment
Cancer treatment affects more than the body. Appointments and treatment may influence employment, transportation, finances, childcare, household responsibilities, caregiving, relationships, sleep, and emotional wellbeing. These concerns belong within the cancer-care conversation too.
Patients and families can ask their healthcare team whether a social worker, psychologist, patient-support organization, rehabilitation professional, or another service may be able to help.
Stichting Prinses Wilhelmina Fonds
Stichting Prinses Wilhelmina Fonds (PWF) has supported people affected by cancer in Curaçao since 1949. It offers psychosocial guidance, practical support, activities, family programs, therapy and recreation, and help connecting patients with appropriate services.
Support is based on each person’s circumstances and the programs available. A patient or family member does not need to know exactly which service to request before making contact. PWF encourages people to explain what they are experiencing so that its team can help identify an appropriate place to begin. PWF support complements medical care; questions about diagnosis or treatment should be directed to qualified healthcare professionals.
Prinses Wilhelmina Fonds: Contact and Useful Links
Address: Scharlooweg 52, Willemstad, Curaçao
Telephone: +599 9 461 1998
WhatsApp: +599 9 461 1998 — text messages only
Email: info@prinseswilhelminafonds.cw
Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00
When Treatment Requires Care Outside Curaçao
Some highly specialized treatments or procedures may require referral outside Curaçao. If this happens, ask the medical team why care abroad is recommended, where the treatment will take place, and who will coordinate the referral.
It is also important to understand which documents are required, which expenses may be covered, whether a caregiver may travel with the patient, and how travel and accommodation are arranged. Ask how the medical team abroad will communicate with the doctors in Curaçao and where follow-up care will take place after the patient returns.
Keep copies of important medical records, test results, imaging reports, medication lists, and referral documents. This can make communication easier when more than one healthcare system is involved.
Cancer Treatment Is Not the Entire Journey
Completing chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, or another active treatment can be an important milestone. However, medical care does not usually end immediately. Follow-up may include physical examinations, laboratory tests or imaging when appropriate, continuing medication, rehabilitation, monitoring for recurrence, management of long-term or late side effects, psychological support, and guidance for general health.
The recommended follow-up schedule is different for each person and depends on the type of cancer, the treatment received, and the patient’s overall health. Patients can ask their medical team for a treatment summary and a follow-up or survivorship care plan explaining which appointments and tests are recommended.
The transition after treatment can be surprisingly emotional. During active treatment, there may have been a highly structured medical schedule. Afterwards, appointments may become less frequent even though physical and emotional recovery continues. Survivorship care addresses these ongoing needs and helps patients understand what comes next.
Caregivers Are Part of Cancer Care Too
Cancer often changes daily life for an entire household. A partner, child, sibling, friend, or relative may begin coordinating appointments, arranging transportation, preparing meals, organizing medicines, communicating with relatives, taking over household responsibilities, and providing emotional support.
Caregivers need information and support too. With the patient’s permission, they can ask the treatment team how best to participate in care. They should also pay attention to their own physical and emotional health, accept help when it is offered, and take breaks when possible. Supporting someone does not mean being available every minute of every day.
Keep One Cancer Information File
Keeping important information together can reduce stress and make communication easier. Consider creating a physical folder or secure digital file containing pathology and imaging reports, treatment summaries and plans, current medications and allergies, appointment details, important telephone numbers, insurance information, referral documents, and questions for the next consultation.
Ask for copies of important reports when they become available. When several healthcare professionals or medical systems are involved, having organized information can help everyone understand the care already received and what is planned next.
Where to Begin
If you have received a cancer diagnosis, follow the referral and appointment instructions provided by your doctor. CMC is a central point for oncology and hematology care in Curaçao. For additional emotional, social, and practical assistance related to cancer, Prinses Wilhelmina Fonds is another important local resource.
You do not need to understand the entire cancer journey on the first day. The next appointment, the next question, and the next piece of information are enough to begin.
Important Medical Reminder
Online health information can help you prepare for conversations with your healthcare team, but it cannot determine which cancer treatment is appropriate for you. Always discuss your diagnosis, medications, supplements, treatment schedule, and symptoms with qualified healthcare professionals who know your individual medical situation.
If you become acutely unwell during cancer treatment, follow the urgent-care instructions given by your medical team. If you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency and cannot reach your treatment team, seek emergency medical assistance.
You do not have to understand everything at once. Asking questions is part of receiving good cancer care.
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