Your cancer care team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering will need to review your medical history before they can begin to manage your care. Please make sure you bring your medical records and diagnostic materials with you, if you have not sent them beforehand. The following items will be needed at your first appointment:
- Your passport.
- Full medical records (translated into English). Include all test reports and surgery reports, treatment records, and laboratory results.
- All films (old and current) from imaging studies (for example, x-rays, MRIs, CT scans), along with relevant reports translated into English.
- Glass pathology slides (pieces of the tumor tissue stained for proper characterization of the cancer), along with the original report and a copy of the pathology report translated into English. If the pathology material included tissue (such as biopsy or surgical specimen), we recommend that you also bring the paraffin block from which the slides were prepared. Our pathologists may need the block to perform additional tests. Please note that any unstained slides will be stained here and cannot be returned to you.
Because these original materials are essential to your treatment plan, your appointment may be delayed or even canceled if they are not available when you arrive. In addition, all medical documents must be in English to ensure timely reviews and treatment. Sending or bringing medical documents in any other language will result in the delay of your review or treatment. Memorial Sloan-Kettering cannot translate documents into English; however, the International Center can provide a list of private translation services.
If you can obtain your imaging studies, pathology slides, and paraffin block one week or more before your appointment, you may choose to ship them to the International Center by express delivery service. Be sure to notify International Center staff before you ship any materials, so that we can advise you about appropriate containers and packaging.
Personal Items
You may find the following list helpful when packing:
- Slippers with non-skid soles.
- Pajamas, nightgown or loungewear, and a robe. (Memorial Sloan-Kettering provides hospital gowns and robes; however, many patients find that wearing their own sleepwear helps make their inpatient stay more comfortable.)
- Toothbrush and toothpaste.
- Brush and comb.
- Cosmetics.
- Shaving kit.
- Containers for eyeglasses, contact lenses, dentures, and/or hearing aid.
- Personal Walkman-style stereo.
You will not need the following items during your stay:
- Valuables
Do not bring any expensive jewelry or articles with you to the hospital.
- Appliances
We ask that you bring only battery-operated appliances and equipment.
- Tobacco
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is a smoke-free environment. Smoking is prohibited anywhere in the Center.
