Keeping track of your treatment history

As time passes, it can be hard to remember each and every detail of your cancer diagnosis and treatment. A personal health record keeps track of this important information. It can be very valuable to the doctors who care for you throughout your lifetime.

Personal health records usually contain information on:

• the date of your diagnosis and test results
• the type of cancer you had, including tissue or cell type, stage and grade
• types of treatment you had and when, including drug names and doses
• related medical findings during treatment, such as side effects
• supportive services provided during your treatment, such as dietary support or counselling
• contact information for your healthcare team

The information that goes into your personal health record as well as your follow-up care plan is usually available from your hospital or treatment records. If your treatment centre hasn’t offered to create these documents for you, ask them to help you gather this information. You may need to pay for it. You might want to create a binder or file folder for them, or you can create electronic or online versions of them.