What advice would you give someone who has just received a cancer diagnosis?

I would tell him or her to:

• Know the details of the cancer diagnosis. First, find out the name of the cancer, its size and location, where it started, and if it has spread. Learn whether it's viewed as a slow-growing cancer or an aggressive one.

  Ask about the available treatment options, the success rate of each treatment and what side effects to expect from each. Without that information, you can't get an accurate understanding of the problem and know what to expect from the treatment.

• Bring someone with you. Know that this is a time of personal crisis, and your ability to retain any meaningful information may be practically zero.

  So bring someone with you — someone who is reliable and knows how to be your advocate. Choose someone you like. It can be helpful to have someone with you to help unscramble the messages.