If You Are Diagnosed with Cancer

Here is a list of questions to ask your doctor:

• What kind of cancer do I have?
• Where is it?
• Has it spread beyond where it started?
• What's the stage of the cancer? What does that mean?
• Is this cancer linked to genetic (inherited) factors? Are my family members at risk?
• What have the tests shown?
• Do I need any more lab tests or imaging scans?
• What is the purpose of each test or scan?
• How will this information help decide what types of other tests or treatments I should have?
• What are my treatment choices?
• What are the expected benefits of each kind of treatment?
• What are the risks of each treatment?
• What are the side effects of each treatment?
• What do you advise and why?
• Are there new treatments or clinical trials that I should consider?
• How long will my treatment last?
• What are my chances of being cured?
• How soon do I need to start treatment?
• How will we know if treatment is working?
• How will each treatment affect my daily life? My sex life? My ability to have children?
• Will treatment affect how I look? How my body works?
• Will I be able to work during treatment?
• What are the chances that the cancer will come back again?
• Based on what you know about my cancer, how long do you think I'll survive?
• Is there anything else I need to know?
• Where can I get more information?
• Will my insurance cover treatment? How much will I have to pay?
• What can I do to get ready for treatment?
• How will I reach you after office hours, or during weekends and holidays?
• What support services are available to me or my family members?