Plain-language answers to the questions patients and their families ask me most: diagnosis, treatment, blood tests and side effects.
Second opinion 10 min
When a second opinion from an oncologist can change the decision, what an online consultation can offer, why slides should be reviewed and what to prepare.
ReadSide effects 10 min
Types of chemo-induced nausea, what affects your risk, how it’s prevented under MASCC/ESMO, NCCN and RUSSCO guidelines, and when to call your doctor.
ReadSide effects 9 min
Why a temperature of 38 °C during chemotherapy means calling your doctor straight away, what febrile neutropenia is, when the risk peaks and what not to do.
ReadTreatment 9 min
How targeted therapy differs from chemo, which targets are tested for (EGFR, ALK, HER2, BRCA and others), what the test uses, and why it isn’t for everyone.
ReadDiagnosis and tests 8 min
An oncologist explains TNM in plain English: what T, N and M mean, the c, p and y prefixes, how stages I–IV are set, and why stage 4 differs by cancer type.
ReadLife during treatment 9 min
Why cancer can come back years after treatment, what lowers the risk, how follow-up care is organized and which symptoms mean you should see your doctor sooner.
ReadLife during treatment 9 min
How much protein and energy you need during chemotherapy, how to avoid losing weight, which food safety rules matter with neutropenia and which diets and herbs are risky.
ReadDiagnosis and tests 9 min
How PET-CT differs from CT and MRI, when each scan is needed, what SUV means, why PET-CT can be wrong and how to prepare for the scan.
ReadBlood tests 9 min
Why oncologists order CEA, CA 15-3, CA 125, CA 19-9, PSA, AFP and hCG, why they aren’t used to look for cancer and why one result isn’t a reason to change treatment.
ReadTreatment 8 min
Why chemotherapy is sometimes given before surgery, how it differs from treatment after, what pathologic complete response (pCR) means and how response is assessed.
ReadTreatment 10 min
I explain what a chemotherapy cycle, course and line are, how the dose is worked out, what a treatment day looks like, why you may need a port, and when to call your doctor.
ReadDiagnosis and tests 9 min
An oncologist explains a pathology report line by line: what G1–G3, R0 and R1, lymphovascular invasion and pTNM mean, and why IHC and a second slide review matter.
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