Patient FAQs

As a patient, what can the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center offer me that I won’t find elsewhere?

First, the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center offers the most up-to-date diagnosis and treatment for all types of cancer, including new therapies that are not yet widely available. Second, everything needed for your diagnosis, treatment, and recovery is available in one place, including counseling, pain management, rehabilitation, and help in returning to your normal life-style following cancer. Support and information services can also tell you how and where to find the best care in your own community—even if you live a long distance from Birmingham. Information is an important part of treatment and recovery at the UAB Cancer Center. Your questions and concerns are welcome—even encouraged—and top specialists in your type of cancer care will answer your concerns.

A family member has been diagnosed with cancer, and I would like for him to be treated at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. How do I arrange this?

You may be referred by your doctor, or you may simply refer yourself. Call Cancer Answers at 1-800-UAB-0933, or 975-8222 in Birmingham. The trained nurse-information specialists staffing the telephone lines are familiar with the different forms of cancer and will give you the names and phone numbers of specialists in the type of cancer that your family member has. They will also help you with related issues such as interpreting complicated medical jargon, getting information on clinical trials, and helping you get in touch with support groups and counselors.

How should I prepare for my first appointment at the Cancer Center?

Please bring with you all of the information about your diagnosis, including test results, X-rays, slides, and so on. You must request this from the doctor who made the diagnosis. Your records belong to you, and you have the right to request them at any time. Bring them with you to your first appointment at UAB. Your doctors at the Cancer Center will need this information when they see you for the first time.

Will it be all right to bring someone with me?

A cancer diagnosis can be a frightening thing. Any time you feel the need for company during a visit to the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, a friend or family member may accompany you. The Cancer Center staff understands that you are not feeling your best, and you may be anxious about receiving a lot of new information about your disease. Your companion can help you understand, take notes, or ask questions that you may not think of.

Will I have one doctor at the Cancer Center, or will I have to see more?

You will have one primary cancer specialist who will coordinate your care, whether you need to see one doctor, or several. Your own doctor, your “primary care physician,” will participate in your treatment, and will be continually updated as you proceed through your recommended course of treatment.

What if I don’t have a primary care physician? Will I still be able to come to the Cancer Center?

Yes—many of our patients are self-referred. One cancer specialist will direct your treatment at the Cancer Center—no matter how many specialists you are required to see in the course of your treatment. That physician will see you on a regular basis for examinations and to discuss your progress. He or she will answer your questions, and discuss your treatment options with you.

I want to be treated at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, but I’m not sure that my insurance will cover it. What should I do?

First, speak with your health care representative where you work, or call your insurance company directly to make sure that treatment at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center will be covered. Often, you must receive authorization from health care providers before treatment begins. Some insurance companies require a form from your doctor requesting a second opinion. In addition, the Cancer Center offers counseling to assist patients with clarification of insurance issues. It is always a good idea to have your insurance company provide written accounts of exactly what they will cover.