| What do all these medical terms mean? |
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A glossary of terms is available: http://www.nci.nih.gov/dictionary/ |
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| What cancers does Atlanta Cancer Care treat? |
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We treat all adult cancers that require chemotherapy. We also treat adult blood (hematologic) disorders. We do not treat children. |
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| I've heard of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Do you do both? |
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Atlanta Cancer Care is dedicated to medical oncology and, therefore, only chemotherapy is administered through our sites. We work closely with many radiation oncologists, however, and will be able to refer you for radiation therapy if necessary. |
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| Who determines if I need chemotherapy? |
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 Should your physician diagnose you with cancer, you would then be referred to Atlanta Cancer Care for an evaluation of the type of treatment that is best for you. Your Atlanta Cancer Care physician will evaluate your situation and discuss your options with you. Ultimately the decision of which treatment path to pursue rests with you, the patient, however, we will do our best to provide you with all the information we can to help you make the right decision for you. |
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| What are the side effects of chemotherapy? |
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There are many potential side effects of chemotherapy, and each person reacts differently to the many different types of chemotherapy. If chemotherapy is part of your treatment plan, we will discuss expected side effects of your particular chemotherapy in detail before your first treatment. |
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| Will I lose my hair on chemotherapy? |
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Some, but not all, chemotherapeutic drugs do cause temporary hair loss or thinning. If your treatment plan includes chemotherapy, we will talk with you before your first treatment about expected side effects. |
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| Will chemotherapy make me sick? |
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With the development of new supportive anti-nausea medications, the side effects of nausea and vomiting are not nearly as common as they once were. All side effects can be controlled. |
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| How often do I have to come for chemotherapy? |
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 If chemotherapy is the recommended treatment for you, the particular course of therapy recommended will be tailor-made to best treat your particular condition. Before you begin therapy, we will give you details about how often you will need to come and for how long. Some patients come once every three weeks for chemotherapy, some once a week, and many other variations, depending on what will best treat their disease. |
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| What types of insurance do you accept? |
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Because of the complexities of managed care, the types of insurance that are accepted are specific to each location. Please refer to our insurance page and look under the location you wish to visit to determine if your insurance is accepted. |
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| Do you accept Medicare? |
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Yes, all of our physicians accept Medicare. Medicare pays for 80% of charges. The other 20% is the patient's responsibility. |
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| Must I pay my co-pay every time I come in? |
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In their contracts with us, most insurance companies require that we collect your co-pay at every visit. For further clarification, please contact the member relations department of your insurance company. Their number can usually be found on the back of your insurance card. |
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| What if I don't have health insurance? |
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Some of our patients pay for their care without the assistance of health insurance. As is the case for all patients, the medical bill is their responsibility, so we will work with you ahead of time on anticipated costs to assist you in planning financially for your care. |
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| Do you have payment plans? |
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Atlanta Cancer Care can sometimes offer payment plans. Please contact the financial counselor at 404-851-2362 if you need more information. |
