The
chemotherapy treatment plan should be developed prior to the initiation of chemotherapy. The core elements of a chemotherapy treatment plan are:
- Diagnosis, including the cancer site, histology and stage
- Goals of therapy (may be specified by the type of template; e.g., adjuvant chemotherapy plan)
- Patient health status and comorbidities
- Surgical history and notable pathology findings
- Chemotherapy regimen and starting dosages
- Duration of treatment and number of planned cycles
- Major side effects of chemotherapy
The
chemotherapy treatment summary should be prepared at the completion of a course of treatment. The core elements of a chemotherapy treatment summary are:
- Chemotherapy treatment delivered, including number of cycles administered, duration, and extent of dose reduction
- Reason treatment was stopped
- Major toxicities and/or hospitalizations
- Treatment response
- Follow up care and relevant providers
ASCO is preparing templates that capture these core elements for a variety of cancer diagnoses. All ASCO templates are published online in a modifiable format, allowing oncologists to customize and adapt them to suit their own practices; however, the core elements above define a treatment plan and treatment summary.
The treatment summary is not intended to be, and should not be considered, a substitute for written or verbal communication, physical examination and history, or review of the complete medical record. Because the treatment summary will summarize parts of your patient’s medical record and treatment plan, it should be treated as confidential and used or disclosed only in accordance with federal and state privacy laws.
No single treatment plan or summary can be appropriate for all patients. Treating oncologists assume responsibility for tailoring the treatment summary to meet individual patient’s needs.
Use of the treatment summary is entirely voluntary. Use of this tool does not imply ASCO’s endorsement of any specific treatment or any product. ASCO is not responsible for any inaccurate or inappropriate use of the treatment summary.
