Your office visits are opportunities to learn from your healthcare team and to assist them in treating you more effectively. Both of these objectives can be accomplished by asking questions about any issues or concerns you may have. Bring a list of questions with you or ask your friends and family to come to the appointment to help you remember the questions. We also encourage a caregiver to take notes during each appointment to serve as a reminder of what you learned.
Below are some questions you may wish to ask:
Do you typically treat patients with my diagnosis?
What stage is my cancer?
Is there anything unique about my disease that changes my prognosis?
Should I get a second opinion?
Do you recommend any educational resources for more information?
What is the goal of my treatment?
What are my treatment options?
How will each treatment help me achieve my goal?
What are the risks and potential side effects of each treatment option?
Which risks are most serious?
How long will I receive treatment? How frequently and where?
How will my treatment be administered?
How will I know if my treatment is working?
How will a disruption in my chemotherapy affect my results?
How can I monitor for complications related to my treatment?
What are the names of the drugs I’ll be given?
What possible side effects should I prepare for? How soon might they start?
Will side effects improve or worsen as my treatment continues?
How can I lessen the impact of my side effects?
Are there treatments that can help relieve my side effects? What are they? Do you typically prescribe them?
Are there other patients who have received this treatment to which I may speak?
What type of lab tests will I need?
How frequently will I have to have laboratory and diagnostic imaging tests?
Will my chemotherapy increase my risk for low blood count and infection? How can I protect myself?
Am I at special risk for infection?
What are the signs of infection?
How serious is an infection?
How long will I be at risk for infection?
How do you treat infections?
How will my disease and treatment affect my normal activities?
Are there any activities I should avoid during my treatment?
Below are some questions you may wish to ask: