How fast do I have to decide?

Almost never today. Most cancers took months or years to reach the point where we found them. A week or two of thinking rarely changes what is possible.

Ask your team directly: is this an emergency, or do I have time? We will tell you the truth. A small number of situations do need a decision in days, and we will say so plainly if yours is one of them.

Written by two physicians. Checked against patient information from the US National Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK.