If You Are Diagnosed with Cancer

Here is a list of questions to ask your healthcare provider:

• 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 hours, or during weekends and holidays?

• What support services are available to me or my family members?