Ian,

My thoughts and prayers are with you. My husband had cancer four years ago and from my experience the waiting to find out was the hardest part. I hope that you are dealing with a false alarm. If you are not, remember that medicine has made some remarkable advances in the treatment of cancer over the past couple of decades. My husband has been cancer-free since his treatment four years ago and I know many former cancer patients who have been cancer-free for decades.

If you do need treatment, the National Cancer Institute issues accreditations for treatment centers that meet high standards. If you can, try to go to one of those centers so that you know you will benefit from the most recent research.