Home > Cancer and Treatments > Head & Neck Cancers

Make an Appointment

 

For your first appointment

Please print the paperwork (listed below) and complete it for your initial visit. [please note the links open .pdf documents]

• Welcome Letter
  Includes information on preparing for your visit, what to expect on the day of your visit and maps.
• Appointment Checklist

Cancellations Should you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please notify the Cancer Center at least 24 hours in advance by calling the contact number on the appointment checklist.

Additional Information:

How long is my first visit and who do I see?
Patients who have been referred by their doctor with a suspicion of cancer of the head and neck region will be scheduled to see one of our faculty physicians. During the office visit, the physician will talk with you in detail about the problem and will then examine your head and neck carefully.

In some instances, your doctor will need to examine an area in more detail. Once your doctor has performed the examination, he may wish to have you talk with other individuals who would be involved with your care. The first of these would be our oncology nurse, who works with all new patients suspected of having cancer in the head and neck region. This nurse will be closely involved in your care and will serve as a first-line contact person for you throughout treatment.

Two other physicians may also see you on the day of your first visit or shortly thereafter. These physicians are from the Hematology/Oncology Division and the Radiation Oncology Department. Please plan to spend two to three hours in our offices for your first visit. When you visit our clinic, please bring a copy of your medical records from your referring physician. If you have had a biopsy, we will also need the actual pathology slides and the pathology report. Final decisions regarding the best treatment for your cancer are usually made after all your doctors have had an opportunity to meet you and discuss your case jointly. Except in emergency situations, you should not expect to be admitted to the hospital on the day of your first visit. After your first visit, we occasionally need to schedule follow-up x-rays, laboratory studies, or biopsies. These studies will be discussed with you at the time of your visit.

Helpful Resources

This can be an anxious time. The following links are to programs which may be able to help:

• Fertility Counseling
• Financial Services
• Patient Billing
• Symptom Management & Supportive Care Program
• PsychOncology Program
• List of Participating Insurance Plans
• Request for Outside Records - Patient Information from Another Organization [pdf]
• The U-M Health System's Guest Assistance Program
• Lodging [Patient and Visitor Accommodations Program]

Still have questions?

The nurses at Cancer AnswerLine™ have answers. Call 1-800-865-1125 and you'll get a personal response from one of our registered nurses, who have years of experience in caring for people with cancer.

Return to top