If you can afford it, consider specialty treatment centers outside your local area. Some regional or national facilities are justly famous for their treatment of a specific kind of cancer, and one may be the best place for you to be -- even if it's located halfway across the country.

Cancer is one of those diagnoses for which you absolutely must have a second opinion. Don't be afraid to ask your oncology professional to recommend another oncologist to perform a second examination, so that you can be entirely sure of what you've got.

From an oncology perspective, a second opinion is necessary not just to make sure that you've got a specific cancer, but also to avoid unnecessary treatment, to verify an uncertain diagnosis on the first doctor's part, to confirm that the cancer is present, and to get more detail information on it.