What is meant by "My team?"
I often hear the phrase "my team" or "your team" used in reference to cancer care. " Make sure you have a good team." When I hear phrases like that. I imagine a bunch of doctors sitting around a table discussing my care.
Brief History: Original diagnosis (11/21) CT2a, Then SBRT to the prostate. Then three years later, three Mets discovered 6/24). Then metastatic directed radiation. When the Mets were discovered, I started on Lupron and Zytiga. PSA undetectable now for 6 months.
Since 2021, I've seen a urologist perform the biopsy, then radiologist do do the radiation and then an oncologist to prescribe drugs. Does this constitute my "team?" As far as I know, the only connection between "my team" is each individually accessing my electronic records. I have no evidence that they have ever talked to each other about my care.
I submit that using phrases like "my team" is very misleading.
Probably better to say, "make sure you have good doctors."
What am I missing here?
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.
I am on Medicare and United is secondary insurance. During this journey the mental aspect is something I was not prepared for, orgovyx messed with my head quite a bit and the social worker helped me out with that. I had the direct number to my pharmacist, urologist office nurses station, radiation dept desk and nurse, they actually answer the phone. My doctors all called me back within 20-30 minutes.
Sticking with the subject of "Team...": This team of specialists will/should also meet with a Tumor Review Board, which is conducted when teams of expert physicians meet to review and discuss complex patients with a diagnosis of cancer. Multiple sets of eyes and experience are a good thing.