Hearing the words "you have colon cancer" can understandably overwhelm you.It's hard to process important information, or know what to ask your doctor, when you're in shock. Is there anything I can do to help manage side effects? What difference will this treatment make to my quality of life, e.g. Talking often with the health care team is important to make informed decisions about your health care. No matter which type of cancer patient you are, asking your health care team the right questions about your disease and cancer treatment can play an important part in managing your care. How will we know if the treatment is working? Should I bring a friend or family member with me to treatment? What symptoms or side effects should I tell you about right away? Your health care team should make time to explain the treatment options and answer your questions. By Lisa Esposito , Staff Writer Oct. 23, 2019 W… 5. If you're a topical expert — researcher, business leader, author or innovator — and would like to contribute an op-ed piece, email us here. 16 Questions to Ask Your Oncologist at Your First Cancer Appointment Being well-informed will help you feel more in control moving forward. How will the doctor know if the treatment is working? How big is the cancer? When you're diagnosed with prostate cancer, ... door of subsequent cancer testing. ON THIS PAGE: You will find some questions to ask your doctor or other members of the health care team to help you better understand your diagnosis, treatment plan, and overall care. 2. I recommend the following questions for newly diagnosed cancer patients. How does the treatment I would receive in this trial compare with the other treatment choices? © 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. How can I reach you on nights, holidays, or weekends? can I work, have sex? Sex After Prostate Cancer. How do the possible risks and benefits of this trial compare to those of the. Fully informed patients are often happier with their treatment. Sipuleucel-T is made by re-engineering a patient’s immune cells to recognize and attack prostate cancer cells. Questions about treatment and costs. What’s the stage of the cancer? Print them out before your next appointment with your cancer specialist. Want to use this content on your website or other digital platform? 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After going through initial biopsy and staging procedure, this should be your first question. What are my other treatment choices, including standard treatments? Why is this treatment preferable to others? What are the risks and side effects of radiation therapy? 1. How well does it usually work? The type of questions you have are likely to change depending on what stage of treatment you are in. Jan C. Buckner, MD, chair of medical oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Harold J. Burstein, MD, staff oncologist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; assistant professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston. Not every person will need all three types of cancer specialists. Exactly what type of breast cancer do I have? How well does it usually work? What should I expect from the treatment itself? Here are some questions you might want to ask: When you’re told you have prostate cancer. How can I reach you on nights, holidays, or weekends? Are there any limits on what I can do? Should I tell you about Or you can download Cancer.Net’s free mobile appfor a list of questions and other interactive tools to man… Consider writing your questions down before your appointment. Here are some tips to help you communicate better with the members of that team: 1. 1. Will I have to pay for any of the treatments or tests? If so, how often and for how long? ON THIS PAGE: You will find some questions to ask your doctor or other members of the health care team, to help you better understand your diagnosis, treatment plan, and overall care. Why do the researchers believe that the treatment being studied may be better than the one being used now? How can I reach you if I have concerns or further questions? How can the cost be reduced? How will I be told about the trial’s results? Will my treatment aff… ... Prostate Cancer Symptoms & Treatments. Will I have out-of-pocket costs? But you might want to ask some extra questions. What happens if I decide to leave the trial? Do I need to change what I eat during treatment? How will we know if the treatment is working? You might feel overwhelmed and forget to ask questions that are important. How will my health information be kept private? WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. 10 Cancer Questions to Ask the Radiation Oncologist The more you know about your cancer treatment , the more confident you'll feel. It’s important to have honest, open discussions with your cancer care team. What are the chances that the cancer has spread beyond my prostate? Your cancer specialist or clinical nurse specialist will answer any questions you have. Remember that you can continue to ask your healthcare team questions during your treatment. Radiotherapy: questions you may wish to ask Many people say they either don't know what questions to ask or they just can't remember them. WebMD provides you with 10 important questions to ask your doctor about prostate cancer. You may find it helpful to take the list to the next appointment and to write down the answers. You can ask questions about anything you do not understand. Not all of these questions may apply to you, but asking the ones that do may be helpful. https://www.cancer.net/.../questions-ask-about-clinical-trials How long will it last? Is there anything I can do to help manage side effects? Use the menu to see other pages. Our syndication services page shows you how. 7. The Oncotype DX® breast, prostate, and colon cancer tests, for example, assess the activity of several genes in a sample of tumor tissue and provide information about the likelihood of cancer recurrence or cancer aggressiveness.3,4,5 Cancers that have a higher likelihood of recurring (coming back) may require more-aggressive treatment than cancers with a low likelihood of recurring. What symptoms or side effects should I tell you about right away? How long do I have to make up my mind about joining this trial? Who can help answer any questions from my insurance company? 1. ON THIS PAGE: You will find some questions to ask your doctor or other members of the health care team to help you better understand your diagnosis, treatment plan, and overall care. 4. 5. Should I make any changes to my diet or lifestyle during or after treatment? After treatment, will I need time to recover? What does this radiation therapy do, exactly? When you’re told you have breast cancer. However, among such a sea of available knowledge, the only competent authority who can give the precise information on cancer and the ways to prevent is one’s family physician or a most trusted doctor. Here are seven key questions to ask your ... but the question should be raised prior to cancer treatment. Will I need to miss work? If so, is it still curable? 6. Talking often with the health care team is important to make informed decisions about your health care. The more you know about your cancer treatment, the more confident you'll feel. Use the menu to see other pages. All rights reserved. Terri Ades, MS, APRN-BC, AOCN, director of cancer information, American Cancer Society, Atlanta. So when you meet with specialists, go in with specific questions. Why is it preferable to others? Will I have to stay in the hospital during the clinical trial? How could the trial affect my daily life? How long will it take? Why are you recommending this treatment for me? 12 Questions to Ask When You're Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer More In August 2013, Jewel Figueras, 51, returned to South Florida from vacation with severe pain in her stomach. How can I get help paying for the treatment if I cannot afford it? This is usually a clinical nurse specialist (CNS). Once treatment begins, you’ll need to know what to expect and what to look for. Cancer is a broad term but primarily the disease affects the cells of the body. Talking often with the health care team is important to make informed decisions about your health care. 12 Questions to Ask if You Have Cancer and Need Radiation. Please enable Javacsript to view this content. Why may it not be better? Questions to Ask about Cancer Treatment Clinical Trials - National Cancer Institute Skip to main content You may want to print the list of questions below to bring to your next appointment. To give you a start, here are some questions about cancer treatment to ask your medical oncologist, surgeon, and radiation oncologist. To help you think about what you want to ask your doctor, you may find the following questions helpful. What does this treatment do, exactly? Who can I speak with about questions I have during and after the trial? You should feel free to ask any question, no matter how small it might seem. Questions about Medicines and Other Products You Might Be Taking Do I need to tell you about the medicines I am taking now? 3. Are there any limits on what I can do? Is treatment availab How much will treatment cost? Why are you recommending this surgery for me? 4. What does that mean? To find out where you stand with your lung cancer and what your treatment plan will be, ask your doctor these 12 questions from WebMD. How often will I have to come to the hospital or clinic? So when you meet with specialists, go in with specific questions. What costs will my health insurance cover? How well does it usually work? 7. Is it to cure, control, prevent spread, prevent recurrence or relieve symptoms? Someone should be available after your first appointment to discuss your diagnosis. But while consulting a doctor, one should also know the questions to ask a doctor about cancer. Ask your oncologist, based on your biopsy, what subtype of breast cancer you have, where it is located in the breast, and what that means for your treatment plan and your outlook after treatment. Six questions to ask your doctor about prostate cancer treatment. What is the aim of each treatment? Once treatment starts, you’ll need to know what to expect and what to look for. Use the menu to see other pages. Is there someone I can talk to who has been in the trial? These suggested questions are a starting point to help you learn … Not all of these questions may apply, but getting answers to the ones that do may be helpful. Will I need to miss work. Symptoms, risks, treatments. However, these questions will help prepare you no matter your medical needs. Will I need … 2. We can even find you a free ride to treatment or a free place to stay when treatment is far from home. Find out how your cancer behaves. Will I be able to drive myself home? Here are the answers to six common questions about prostate cancer treatment: ... may be an option to treat advanced prostate cancer. What will happen to my cancer without treatment. Advanced preparation and education about chemotherapy can help relieve some of the stress and confusion many people feel when faced with any treatment for cancer.If you're about to begin chemotherapy, these questions can serve as a guide to help you discuss treatment with your doctor. Do I need to change what I eat during treatment? How long will I need to stay in the hospital? What kinds of tests and treatments are involved? What are the risks and side effects of this treatment? When you’re going through cancer treatment, it’s important to ask your doctor and cancer care team all your questions. Where exactly is it? 5 Questions to Ask Before Agreeing to Any Cancer Treatment . 3. If I didn’t do any treatment for 6-8 weeks, how could my cancer progress? If you are thinking about taking part in a clinical trial, be sure to ask your doctor, “Is there a clinical trial that I can join?” If your doctor offers you a trial, here are some questions you may want to ask. Learn as much as you can from your doctor and your own research. Suggested questions to ask your doctor, if you are thinking about taking part in a clinical trial. If so, how much? After treatment, will I need time to recover? Choose the questions that fit your, or your child’s, situation and add questions of your own. National Cancer Institute: "How to find a doctor or treatment facility if you have cancer.". What will this surgery accomplish, exactly? What should I expect from the treatment itself? The following are questions that you can ask the healthcare team about treatment options. Should I exercise? If you think of questions later or need emotional support, you can speak to one of our cancer … Has the cancer spread to my lymph nodes or other organs? 6. Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM), Coping with Your Feelings During Advanced Cancer, Emotional Support for Young People with Cancer, Young People Facing End-of-Life Care Decisions, Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Treatment, Tech Transfer & Small Business Partnerships, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Milestones in Cancer Research and Discovery, Step 1: Application Development & Submission, How to Work With Your Health Insurance Plan, Questions to Ask about Treatment Clinical Trials, Drugs Approved for Different Types of Cancer, Drugs Approved for Conditions Related to Cancer, If You Want to Find Ways to Prevent Cancer...Learn About Prevention Clinical Trials, Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies, Providing Your Tissue for Research: What You Need To Know, Cancer Clinical Trials at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Organizations That Offer Support Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 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