The decision to seek oncological treatment is often taken under duress and may be the only option left to the patient. Usually, the newly diagnosed patient, still reeling from the disclosure of the diagnosis, is channeled to a specialist or a team of specialists expected to coordinate and optimize the treatment. This coordination should offer advice on the steps required for the best possible outcome, expressed in quality of life and length of survival. At times, these parameters can be mutually exclusive and rarely, the patient has much input in his fate. Cancer therapy is in constant flux, with many hypothetically sound but untried options. There are numerous ?schools of thought?; different oncologists and clinics adhere to different treatment protocols. These may range from suboptimal to tried, but antiquated to experimental and outright risky. How much in depth should a cancer patient be familiarized with the pros and cons of the proposed treatment?
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