Patient Education Colorectal Cancer: Your Care and Recovery | Page 8

Diagnosis
Building and Working
With Your Healthcare Team
To feel comfortable
with the treatment
decisions you make
and the treatments
you get, you need a
healthcare team you
can trust.
A team of healthcare
providers is ready
to help you during
your hospitalization
and recovery. The
team includes
primary care doctors,
gastroenterologists, general or colorectal surgeons, nurses, dietitians, health
educators, and discharge planners.
When a diagnosis of cancer is made, your healthcare team will include new
members. The new members might include a medical oncologist, oncology
nurse, ostomy or enterostomal nurse, radiation oncologist, radiation
therapist, and oncology nurse navigator.
You are an important member of this team. Taking an active role in your
care is very important for your recovery.

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