We schedule your first appointment within two weeks of your or your doctor's first phone call. Prior to that appointment, we coordinate all the testing that must be done and, with your participation, obtain reports or copies of any tests that you have already had completed, such as X-rays and colonoscopies.
We will explain what additional tests you need, but most patients will have a CT scan of the torso (chest, abdomen, and pelvis), an MRI of the pelvis, and often an ultrasound of the rectum. These tests will be arranged and completed before your first appointment. Our nurse practitioner will explain everything to you, help make the necessary arrangements, and provide support and advice. Our goal is to make this process as convenient and quick as possible for you so you can begin treatment.
By the time you arrive for your first appointment, our team of specialists will have carefully reviewed and discussed all your records and formulated a comprehensive, individualized treatment plan in our multidisciplinary conference. This plan reflects the consensus of all the experts potentially involved in your care, including colon and rectal surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists.
