Legal RN Reporter (A Publication of Haibeck and Associates Legal Nurse Consulting)

Haibeck and Associates Legal Nurse Consulting 581 South Saylor Ave Elmhurst, Illinois 60126

(630) 750-5486 clnc@haibeckandassociates.com www.HaibeckAndAssociates.com

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

I often come across interesting articles or medical facts concerning medically related cases that I would like to share with the attorneys I work with and the attorneys I haven’t met yet. This is my vehicle to do just that. Enjoy! WELCOME to the Legal RN Reporter!

▪ From Candy Striper (to Almost Journalist) to Legal Nurse Consultant ▪ What we’ve got here is …a FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE. ▪ Favorite Places: Magic of Mackinac Island.

CANCER QUESTION CORNER As an oncology nurse specialist for over thirty years, I have guided many patients and families during cancer treatment. In each issue, I will answer a common, but frequently misunderstood question, that I am asked.

Q. Why do I have to have a biopsy? The doctor said it looks like cancer.

cells, which means the tumor started in the colon, not the liver. Knowing where it started, as the primary cancer, definitely affects treatment decisions. It is not “one chemo fits all”. There are over 200 different chemotherapy medicines. Having this answer leads to many more questions which I will address in future issues.

In order to determine a plan of treatment, the physician needs to be sure it is truly a cancer and not benign (non-cancerous). After the biopsy, a specially trained physician, a pathologist will look at a piece of the specimen under the microscope to determine the type of cell and what organ it came from. Sometimes, it is an unexpected answer. A liver biopsy may show colon cancer

After the biopsy, a pathologist will determine the type of cell and what organ it came from.

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